"Gary Drescher" wrote:

If that's true, then we don't really know what proportion
of flights may have had accidents (fatal or otherwise) that
were not reported as YE flights, even though the flight
would have been reported as such if it'd been successful.
That alone could easily distort the statistics by a factor of
two or more.

I agree, and NTSB stuff enables "approximate" methodology. Except
that a number of minor accidents aren't reported to NTSB in
general, so a similar % for Y/E won't distort comparisons.

On a serious/fatal Y/E flight, EAA will know about it if their up
to $1 million insurance coverage is sought after, and hence will be
reported to NTSB.

I think it's sufficient to stand back 10 feet and look at NTSB
data, and Y/E activity does appear safer. It's like crop-dusting.
We know it's hazardous and NTSB says so; the actual comparative
rate doesn't matter much except to insurance companies. But note
there, the premium cost of the EAA insurance is small, even if EAA
kicks in some, and it covers other liability hazards for a chapter
and its members.

Fred F.