12 August 2014

FAA Focus: Reducing Fatal Accidents in Alaska

"Aviation data analyzed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's Air Safety Foundation found a rate of 13.59 accidents per 100,000 flight hours in Alaska between 2004 and 2008. The comparative national rate for smaller general aviation aircraft was 5.85 accidents per 100,000 flight hours." (from a 2010 article to which I've lost the link)


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The FAA says over the past decade, Alaska has averaged 86 accidents per year; on average nearly 9 are fatal.

The NTSB says those numbers are significantly higher compared to the rest of the country.

"So we see a lot more hours, a lot more challenging environments, challenging topography, a lot more challenges in general in Alaska here than you would see in the Lower 48," said NTSB Regional Chied Clint Johnson.

The federal government uses the fiscal calendar, which runs from October to October, for tracking aircraft accidents.  There have been 54 accidents since October 2013 in Alaska.  10 of those have resulted in fatalities.  Those numbers include Sunday’s fatal crash of a Piper-Comanche plane in Big Lake.

In the 2013 fiscal year, there were 67 accidents, and 25 fatalities.  Those numbers include a crash at the Soldotna Airport in July of 2013 that claimed the lives of 10 people.

Go here for the rest. 

And please please please, pilots: let's be careful out there.

2 comments:

PioneerPreppy said...

I wonder since small aircraft are so much more of a necessity up there if maybe a number of people take up flying that maybe shouldn't?

I know the very few people I have personally known down here who flew and crashed were the ones that many of us shook our heads about and asked "who would give them a license to drive let alone fly"?

Just seems maybe that type would become more prevalent as the numbers rose.

Rev. Paul said...

Preppy, I wouldn't be surprised. Good point.