If all midair collisions were eliminated...

On Feb 9, 11:55*pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:

You can do the research...

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/index.aspx

You can select on Injury Severity and Category (Glider, etc.). Play
with trying "collision" etc. in the event details box (but obviously
you need to check the results/misses).

Darryl

According to my hand count of accidents in the database, over the past
10 years there have been 60 fatal glider accidents in the US with 68
total fatalities. Three of the accidents and 9 of the fatalities were
due to mid-air collisions, so the numbers are higher for gliders - 5%
of the accidents and 15% of the fatalities. Still, you are 20 times
more likely to die in a single glider crash than a midair - if that is
any consolation.

It is worthwhile looking at the reports as a reminder for extra care
in certain areas. Lots of accidents were on approach (maybe half),
either coming up short or a stall/spin turning base or final. The
next biggest cause was collision with terrain during flight (not
always possible to determine controlled versus uncontrolled). Next
came loss of control/structural failure in flight. There were also a
number of cases of assembly errors, control problems on takeoff and
several where pilot incapacitation was suspected. The rank ordering of
causes is my rough impression.

Unfortunately, too many on the list were friends or people I'd met
along the way. Too many.

Fly safe.

9B