Glider Safety

The following is the first of a series of newsletters to be sent to
subscribers to my popular newsletter.
It is a topic I presented at the FAA Safety Center in Lakeland
Florida.

If this is of any interest to you, please go to our web site www.eglider.org
and click on the link on the right side of the home page to subscribe.

Tom Knauff

A TEN-YEAR REVIEW OF GLIDER ACCIDENTS

You will find information about glider accidents on the following web
site:
http://www.ntsb.gov/Aviation/Aviation.htm

This series of newsletters will review:
Accident causes.
Where they are happening.
What you can do.

Glider pilots are generally:
Intelligent
Educated
Mature
Financially well off

You would expect glider flying to be safer than most other activities.

Which is more dangerous?
Flying Gliders?
Driving Automobiles?

A common statement is: “Driving to the gliderport is more dangerous
than flying in a glider.” Unfortunately, this is not true.

Common Automobile Accident Factors
Night driving.
Alcohol, drugs.
Minimal training.
Distractions.
Speeding.
Heavy, close traffic.
Young/old drivers


Flying gliders has very few of these accident-causing factors.

You would expect glider flying to be safer than driving.

However, statistics show glider flying (USA & most countries) is much
worse.

FATALITIES PER THOUSAND
Gliders: Approximately 1 in 2,000
Autos: Approximately 1 in 6,000

Ten Year Glider Fatalities (USA)

Year
2009 8
2008 3
2007 6
2006 4
2005 6
2004 7
2003 6
2002 6
2001 6
2000 5

Total 57 fatalities.

5.7 per year.

The thirty-year average is 6.1 fatalities per year.

More to follow.

Tom Knauff

On Feb 21, 2:04*pm, Tom wrote:
The following is the first of a series of newsletters to be sent to
subscribers to my popular newsletter.

This series of newsletters will review:
Accident causes.

FATALITIES PER THOUSAND
Gliders: Approximately 1 in 2,000
*Autos: *Approximately 1 in 6,000

Tom,

I don't doubt the numbers are horrible but can you please clarify
"FATALITIES PER THOUSAND"? Per thousand what? Is this registered
gliders, certificated pilots, hours flown, miles flown...?

thanks

Andy

If it wasn't dangerous it wouldn't be any fun.
On Feb 21, 5:04*pm, Andy wrote:
On Feb 21, 2:04*pm, Tom wrote:

The following is the first of a series of newsletters to be sent to
subscribers to my popular newsletter.
This series of newsletters will review:
Accident causes.
FATALITIES PER THOUSAND
Gliders: Approximately 1 in 2,000
*Autos: *Approximately 1 in 6,000

Tom,

I don't doubt the numbers are horrible but can you please clarify
"FATALITIES PER THOUSAND"? *Per thousand what? *Is this registered
gliders, certificated pilots, hours flown, miles flown...?

thanks

Andy

wrote

If it wasn't dangerous it wouldn't be any fun.

I hope you say that mostly in jest; otherwise, I say,

Bull-bleep!

To some, that may be the reason they fly, but that sure isn't the reason
many or most fly. I want to be old and gray, and flying all the way till I
can't see straight in my upper 90's, at least!
--
Jim in NC

I wonder how these calculations take into consideration the hours spent on both activities. After all, one spends a lot more time driving than flying a glider (although there may be a lucky few for whom this does not apply).

Perhaps I have been sheltered,

But I have never heard the claim the flying gliders was safer than
driving.

What I have heard and my amateur review of the fatality numbers per
hour seems to confirm is.

Flying commercial airlines is safer than driving.

GA flying about the same as riding a motorcycle

GA flying can be as safe as driving if you eliminate low flying and
bad weather flying.

Glider flying is more dangerous than GA flying, I am unsure by what
factor.

*************
Of course there are many ways to look at the numbers. One can count
fatalities, injuries or accidents. One can count per vehicals or per
person. Just those two variables give about 12 different
combination's of ways to count the numbers,

However I am looking forward to Tom's Analysis.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

On Feb 22, 5:19*pm, michael case wrote:
Of course there are many ways to look at the numbers.

My favourite are the pair of statistics from the '70s, probably
still true today:
1 landing in commercial airliners is becoming safer
2 landing in commercial airliners is becoming more dangerous

1 is true for accidents per landing
2 is true for proportion of accidents while landing

On Feb 21, 4:57*pm, "Morgans" wrote:

To some, that may be the reason they fly, but that sure isn't the reason
many or most fly. *I want to be old and gray, and flying all the way till I
can't see straight in my upper 90's, at least!

This seems to be quite a common attitude toward glider flying.

I wonder how much better the glider fatality numbers would look if the
cases where the pilot was dead, or otherwise medically incapacitated,
prior to the accident were eliminated. Several US fatal accidents in
the past few years seem to fall into that category.

Is there a case for requiring a medical certificate for SSA sanctioned
contests?

Andy

Right. Let us inflict more restrictions on ourselves. For the
children of course. If it is a good idea for contests then it is good
idea for everyone...

Is there a case for requiring a medical certificate for SSA sanctioned
contests?

Andy

On Feb 22, 10:55*am, "
wrote:
Right. *Let us inflict more restrictions on ourselves. *For the
children of course. *If it is a good idea for contests then it is good
idea for everyone...



Is there a case for requiring a medical certificate for SSA sanctioned
contests?

Andy


I am unaware of any third party being injured from a glider accident
resulting from incapacity of the pilot. After all, sailplanes are
pretty light and don't burn. However, it's pretty unsettling to the
rest of us. I was at Parowan last year and was also personally
affected by one such incident. You'd get my vote for requiring a
medical certificate.

You could also make a case for requiring a medical certificate for
pilots instructing and carrying passengers, but again, I doubt that
there is much of an accident database to support the need for this.

Mike