Accident statistics

Does anyone have any good sources for statistics on flying accidents.
Specifically, I'd like to know 1) what % of accidents are fatal to all
occupants, 2) what % of accidents are fatal to some but not all
occupants, and how these stats compare to similar stats for automobile
accidents.

As you have probably guessed, this information is for calming a wife's
worry about her husband's burgeoning interest in flying...

Marc

Marc Adler wrote:

Does anyone have any good sources for statistics on flying accidents.
Specifically, I'd like to know 1) what % of accidents are fatal to all
occupants, 2) what % of accidents are fatal to some but not all
occupants, and how these stats compare to similar stats for automobile
accidents.

This might be a good place to start. The most recent NALL report, which
provides analysis for 2004:

http://www.gaservingamerica.com/library_pdfs/05nall.pdf

Here is a list of NALL reports from years prior:

http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/nall.html


--
Peter

As you have probably guessed, this information is for calming a wife's
worry about her husband's burgeoning interest in flying...

You're not going to be able to use the data, Marc. Statistically,
everything I've seen shows that flying a light plane is about the same
level of risk as riding a motorcycle.

Which, in my opinion, is quite acceptable. However, wives have been
known to disagree...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Marc Adler" wrote:

As you have probably guessed, this information is for calming a wife's
worry about her husband's burgeoning interest in flying...

Your real analysis should indicate what percentage are due to pilots
tempting the Law of Darwinism and losing. Common sense, being prudent
about the inherent risks of flying (or driving, snowmobiling or taking
a shower), would dramatically cut accident and fatality rates.

Ron Lee

Ron Lee wrote:

Your real analysis should indicate what percentage are due to pilots
tempting the Law of Darwinism and losing.

That might be true, but I'm pretty sure my wife thinks I would be on
the losing side of that equation.

I found this:
http://www.bts.gov/publications/nati...ble_02_03.html

According to that site, there were 1,741 GA accidents vs 79,081 for
motorcycles in 2004 (and 4,746,307 for passenger cars). Now we just
need to find points of reference to compare those stats (hours, size of
pool, etc.).

Marc

Hi Marc;

You might be approaching the issue from the wrong direction based on my
experience through the years advising potential pilots on this very issue.
Family members not well versed on aviation safety are prone not to take
positive stats as a source of relief from their anxiety about a loved one
flying.
Not that good stats don't help mind you, but they're not enough.
What you should do is by all means gather up all the good stats you can
muster, then instead of placing these in front of your wife as the end all
for you taking up flying; instead use the stats as a point of departure into
convincing her that although there is an element of risk in flying as there
is risk in any endeavor like flying, the way you intend to approach that
risk is through a competent and intelligent learning process.
The bottom line on what you need to get across to her and ease her fears is
that the danger isn't the fact that risk exists. The danger is there when
risk is mishandled and mismanaged, and you are intelligent enough to know
this and are approaching the issue from that direction.
Even if you could produce stats that could prove there is a 99% safety
factor in flying, people who love you and are uneducated in flying would
still be worrying about that remaining 1%.
What you have to do to ease her fear is show her you are capable of managing
that 1%.
Best of luck to you. Its not the easiest thing to accomplish, but its worth
the effort :-)
Dudley Henriques

"Marc Adler" wrote in message
ups.com...
Does anyone have any good sources for statistics on flying accidents.
Specifically, I'd like to know 1) what % of accidents are fatal to all
occupants, 2) what % of accidents are fatal to some but not all
occupants, and how these stats compare to similar stats for automobile
accidents.

As you have probably guessed, this information is for calming a wife's
worry about her husband's burgeoning interest in flying...

Marc

Your real analysis should indicate what percentage are due to pilots
tempting the Law of Darwinism and losing.

But add back the accidents caused by tempting Darwin, knowing the pilot will win (and being wrong).

Jose
--
There are more ways to skin a cat than there are cats.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Marc Adler" wrote:
Does anyone have any good sources for statistics on flying accidents.

A good place to check is he

http://www.transtats.bts.gov/

Generally, aviation safety stats for GA seem to normalized on a per-hour
basis, and you can get that information he

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviation/Table10.htm

While automobile safety stats generally seem to be normalized on a
per-mile basis, and you can get that information he

http://www.bts.gov/publications/nati...ble_02_21.html

"Marc Adler" wrote:


As you have probably guessed, this information is for calming a wife's
worry about her husband's burgeoning interest in flying...

If that's what you're after, you probably won't like what you find.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

So, based on these numbers, I have a 1.3% chance of a fatal accident
before I reach 1000 hours. Wow, that is a bit high....

My mother recently died in a motorcycle accident, and that brings the
risk of such things a bit closer to home if you know what I mean...

--Dan


Dan Luke wrote:
"Marc Adler" wrote:


As you have probably guessed, this information is for calming a wife's
worry about her husband's burgeoning interest in flying...

If that's what you're after, you probably won't like what you find.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM