Air Accident Investigations - Current

Air Accident Investigations - Current Issues and Trends

Types and Causes of Air Accidents

Air Accident Investigations

Role of the National Transportation Safety Board

Major and serious air accidents resulting damage and injury

Fatal Accidents Attributed to Pilot Error

Fatal Accidents Attributed to Pilot Error (weather related)

Fatal Accidents Attributed to Weather

Fatal Accidents Attributed to Mechanical Failure

Fatal Accidents Attributed to Other Causes

Recapitulation of Ten of the Most Recent NSTB Aviation Accident Investigations

Further readings and recommendations

Appendix a -Top 100 Aviation Disasters

Appendix B-Notable Accident Causes by Category

Accidents and Accident Rates for 1983 through 2002.

Table 3.2: General Aviation Accidents: Calendar Year 2003.

Table 3.3: General Aviation Accident Injuries: Calendar Year 2003.

Table 3.4: General Aviation Accident Rate.

Table 3.5: Causes of Fatal Accidents by Decade (percentage).

Table 3.6: Number of General Aviation Fatalities per 100,000 Hours Flown: 1994-2003.

Table 3.7:Recapitulation of Ten of the Most Recent NSTB Aviation Accident Investigations.

List of figures:

Figure 3.1: Major Air Accidents: 1983-2002.

Figure 3.2: Serious Air Accidents: 1983-2002.

Figure 3.3:

Air Accidents Resulting in Injury: 1983-2002.

Figure 3.4: Air Accidents Resulting in Damage: 1983-2002.

Figure 3.5: Causes of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Pilot Error by Decade (percentage).

Figure 3.6: Causes of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Pilot Error (weather related) by Decade (percentage). 44

3.7: Causes of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Pilot Error (mechanical related) by Decade (percentage). 46

Figure 3.8: Total Causes of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Pilot Error by Decade (percentage). 46

Figure 3.9. Causes of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Other Human Error by Decade (percentage). 47

Figure 3.10:Causes of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Weather by Decade (percentage). 47

Figure 3.11: Causes of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Mechanical Failure by Decade (percentage). 49

Figure 3.12: Causes of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Sabotage by Decade (percentage). 50

Figure 3.13: Causes of Fatal Accidents Attributed to Other Causes by Decade (percentage).

3.14: Number of Fatal Accidents by Type of Operation:

1994-2003. 52

3.15: Number of General Aviation Fatalities per 100,000 Hours Flown: 1994-2003.

3.16: Accidents and Fatalities by Phase of Flight. 53

Abstract

Today, the civil aviation industry in general and particularly in the United States has managed to achieve an remarkable safety record which currently stands at less than one accident per million departures. This accident rate means that aviation is among the safest industries in the world. Nevertheless, based on the considerable growth expected in air travel (the current number of 25 million flights per year worldwide is expected to double by the year 2010), it is not sufficient to maintain existing safety rates and the need for improved aviation safety is apparent. In fact, an average of one time every day there is a safety-related accident, incident, or threat reported in the U.S., with the majority of incidents going unreported. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of the relevant literature concerning air accidents and their investigation to identify current issues, problems and trends that bear further investigation. To this end, a mixed methodological approach was used to examine the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning aviation safety in general and air accident investigations in particular, together with a quantitative analysis of the causes and incidence of various types of aircraft accident and a recapitulation of recent media reports concerning the same. The research showed that general aviation is defined as all aviation except that carried out by the military and commercial airlines and includes personal flying, business flying, instructional flying, agricultural spraying, and aerial photography. Airline operating conditions that may affect aircraft damage severity include flying conditions, phase of aircraft flight, pilot utilization, and type of airline service. The NTSB is an independent federal agency designated by the United State Congress to investigate major transportation accidents and make recommendations on how to prevent them from recurring. Because aircraft manufactured in the U.S. are marketed worldwide, recommendations from the NTSB concerning ways in which to prevent future aviation accidents likewise have global implications.

Air Accident Investigations: Current Issues and Trends

Chapter 1: Introduction

Civil aviation in general and particularly in the United States has achieved an enviable safety record over the years which now stand at less than one accident per million departures. This accident rate places aviation among the safest industries in the world. Nevertheless, based on the considerable growth expected in air travel (the current number of 25 million flights per year worldwide is expected to double by the year 2010), it is not sufficient to maintain existing safety rates and the need for improved aviation safety is apparent (Sarter & Amalberti, 2000) [1]. Unless the already low accident rate in aviation is reduced even further, the increased traffic volume will lead to an average of 25 accidents per year, with over 1,000 fatalities. Because 70% to 80% of all aviation accidents are considered to involve human error, one promising avenue appears to be investments in a better understanding of, and better support for, human performance and human-machine interaction. This includes improved system and feedback design as well as new forms of pilot training to reduce the potential for errors and their catastrophic consequences [1]. Although the need for introducing these changes is widely recognized, progress is slow and faces a number of challenges. The economic pressure and competition in the worldwide aviation industry are intense, and manufacturers and carriers are careful not to invest in proposed solutions without guaranteed safety (and financial) paybacks. In addition, the time of national standards and regulations in the aviation domain has ended. Many proposed changes in design, training, or operations need to be accepted and applied worldwide. This need for international consensus slows down, and sometimes prevents, progress. Yet another obstacle is the fact that some in the aviation industry still consider increased automation to be the solution to, rather than a potential source of, human factors problems. To them, observed difficulties are the consequence of human error rather than symptoms of mismatches between human(s), machine(s), and the environment in which they collaborate [1]. In the post-September 11, 2001 environment, such air accident investigations have assumed new importance and relevance, which directly relates to the problem considered in this study which is discussed further below.

1.1 Statement of the Problem