On Oct 21, 7:31 pm, Emily wrote:
Interesting. I don't have any studies, but from a strictly maintenance
standpoint, I see things completely opposite. Every single rental
aircraft I have flown is meticulously maintained, by certificated and
qualified mechanics with factory training. I'm picky about what I fly.

Some of the owners I know? They just go out and do whatever to their
airplanes, legal/safe or not. It's the "it's my plane, I can do what I
want to it" mentality.

I'd agree. I've flown plenty of rental and "Working" planes, and while
they are ugly to look at (torn up interiors, chipped paint, etc.) they
tend to be generally well maintained underneath. Required 100 hour
inspections mean that cables, spars, etc. are getting looked at as much
as once a month or two rather than once a year. My experience has been
that Owner/pilots are more likely to cut corners on maintenance issues
that they do not see as a safety issue.

The reality is however, that maintenance induce accidents are
relatively rare. If there is a statistic significant increase in the
accident rate for rentals, its likely due to the comparably less
proficiency that renters have compared to owners. I'd venture to guess
that in the broad scheme of things, the accident rate for rentals is
likely lower as high insurance rates and renter requirements discourage
flight schools from putting more accident-prone aircraft on the rental
line.