Wed, Sep 07, 2005
The NTSB has adopted a
safety study that examines the risk factors associated with General
Aviation (GA) flights into conditions of bad weather and poor
visibility.
"Weather- related accidents are a leading cause of aviation
fatalities and the Safety Board has long been concerned with the
disproportionate number of fatal accidents associated with
weather," said Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker.
Even though weather-related accidents are not frequent, they
account for a large number of aviation fatalities--only 6% of GA
accidents are weather-related but they account for more than one in
four fatalities that occur in GA annually.
For the study, NTSB investigators collected data from 72 GA
accidents that occurred between August 2003 and April 2004.
Information about these accidents was compared to a matching group
of 135 non-accident flights operating under the same
conditions.
The study results suggest that a pilot's performance history,
including previous aviation accidents or incidents, and FAA
knowledge or practical test failures are associated with an
increased risk of being involved in weather-related GA
accidents.
The study also found
that pilots who obtain their first pilot certificates earlier in
life, or those who obtain higher levels of certifications or
instrument ratings, are at reduced risk compared to other
pilots.
As a result of the study, the Safety Board called on the Federal
Aviation Administration to ensure that pilots have a minimum level
of proficiency to recognize and respond to weather hazards.
The Board also asked the FAA to identify and provide additional
support for pilots whose performance indicates increased risk, and
to improve its pre-flight weather services.
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