Otto Lagarhus - Knakende godt DP om GA

Discussion & Information Paper for the FAI Safety Expert Group

 Safety in General Aviation - No laurels to rest on..!

Otto Lagarhus,

FAI Executive Director (Safety Portfolio)

The following article is based mainly on an excellent editorial in the leading Norwegian aviation magazine

«Flynytt», written by the editor-in-chief Torkell Saetervadet. It is, however, freely modified and supplemented by this author, who as a consequence take responsibility for the conclusions.

A study of official statistics of GA accidents in Norway invariably gives us a sense of satisfaction, seeing no urgent need for action. No fatal accidents with Norwegian

registered GA aircraft since 2005, and even accidents without fatalities are diminishing.

But the statistics from GA flying in Norway (and most smaller countries) should be used with care, since the statistical material is very small, and if used uncritically, could lead to wrong conclusions and a false sense of comfort.

On the other side of the Atlantic, in the home country of GA flying, the USA, the statistical material is significant due to the high volume of GA operations. And here, it is an eye opener to note that the accident rate has been relatively constant the last few years, and that the rate seems surprisingly immune in spite of a number of important safety initiatives that has been implemented by various stakeholders.

The NTSB (US) is so concerned about this fact that it in July last year started a comprehensive study to find the reasons for this, and to identify relevant actions. The

outcome of this study may well be relevant for a number of other countries. In this context, it is interesting to note the major advances in the safety of airline operations, where 2012 gave us an all-time low in fatalities, confirming a strong downward trend. The same tendency holds true for for road traffic (at least for the European countries I am familiar with), where fatalities keep decreasing in spite of a fairly large increase in volume.

There may be many reasons for such a positive trend, but one should not underestimate that competent engineers in the car and road design areas increasingly adopt the

philosophy that humans actually make mistakes, and apply this in their work, installing «error tolerant» equipment such as better seat restraints, multiple airbags, advanced ABSbrakes and active driver warning and monitoring systems. This, combined with improvements in road construction and the introduction of collision preventing measures such as centerline dividers, result in a constant and sizable reduction in fatal road accidents.

For the air transport sector, the same is true, as the percentage of modern, state-of-the-art equipped aircraft is increasing, with a very positive effect on safety. For the typical small airplane driver, things are different. The majority of airplanes utilized in GA are «vintage 1960» when it comes to design and equipment. Yes, most of us utilize a GPS, and a few have installed ballistic recovery parachutes, but except for that, the average GA pilot is not spoiled with modern tools and safety devices.

It is interesting to observe that changes promoted by authorities and other stakeholders actually are giving negative effects. We are experiencing reduced availability of airports, increased restrictions in available airspace and a much more bureaucratic and formal licensing and maintenance regime, significantly increasing our cost of operation. It is ironic to note that the NTSB back in 2002 determined that only 7 percent of GA accidents were

related to maintenance issues, and that this was the same year that EASA was established and started to sharpen its pencils to introduce the new, bureaucratic and

complex Part-M rules.

So, what is the remedy to make a quantum leap in the reduction of GA accidents?

In my opinion, it is to promote and facilitate the introduction of modern safety technology in GA flying, to ripe the same benefit that is experienced in airline operations and road traffic. Statistics from the US shows that a modern GA aircraft such as the Diamond DA-40-180 have an accident rate of 2,48 accidents per 100.000, of which only 0,2 are fatal. Compare this to the total single-engine GA fleet, and you see the numbers of 7,61 and 1,27 respectfully; a world of difference that cannot and should not be ignored.

The conclusion is evident: GA accidents can be reduced, and application of modern technology is one important element. The civil aviation authorities must work harder to

facilitate and simplify the certification and use of modern equipment with safety enhancing capabilities. And the pilots themselves must accept the fact that modern equipment such as mode S transponders for collision and obstacle avoidance, moving maps with terrain awareness features, built in ballistic recovery parachutes - to name a few - are essential tools to reduce and eliminate accidents. Our mission is NOT to oppose the installation of such equipment, but rather to promote high volume installations of cost effective equipment in order to bring the prices down.

The other side of the coin in our fight to reduce accidents in general aviation - and in air sports generally - is better training training to improve skills and foster better attitudes. Even here, new initiatives are needed. The FAI «ISSR» concept («Improved Safety through Shared Responsibility») may be one such initiative, and there are several others. Although training for improved skills and better attitudes is important, we must not ignore

or disregard the obvious and well documented positive effect of adopting modern technology equipment. Let us use our energy and influence to promote widespread

availability of cost effective equipment that will give a real improvement in safety.