The 2010 NALL Report slices and dices 2009’s GA accident record any number of ways, but doesn’t provide separate analysis of accidents during flight training. So what’s been happening out there?
There were 150 accidents during fixed-wing instructional flights in 2009, and another 40 in helicopters. These made up about one-eighth of all noncommercial airplane accidents and almost a third of those in helicopters, in both cases pretty close to training’s share of all flight activity. Besides primary instruction of student pilots, they involved flights by certificated pilots working on advanced ratings, company training for new hires, and flight reviews and instrument proficiency checks. Just over half the fixed-wing accidents occurred during primary training, compared to only seven of the helicopter accidents—all on dual flights.
Three-quarters of fixed-wing primary training accidents took place on student solos—sobering, given that solos account for much less than half a typical student’s flight time before the checkride. But take heart: Not one was fatal, and only one caused serious injury. In fact, since the year 2000 only 3 percent of solo student accidents have been fatal.
Fully two-thirds of these solo accidents were bad landings—no surprise to anyone who’s learning to time the flare. About half were stalls, and most of the rest were losses of directional control; only five were blamed on crosswinds.
Accidents during taxi, takeoff, or go-arounds made up another 20 percent, so getting to, off, or back onto the runway accounted for almost 90 percent. There were none while practicing maneuvers, and no fuel-management accidents on cross-countries or otherwise, which ought to reassure any students who are nervous about leaving the pattern on their own.
Dual instruction was pretty safe, too, with only a third as many accidents in more than twice the flight time. In the past 10 years, only 2 percent of light-airplane accidents occurred during primary training with a CFI on board. Just three were fatal in 2009 (fairly typical), and they were a mixed bag: a midair collision with an airplane flying cross-country, a botched takeoff attempt from a grass field, and one possible loss of engine power in flight.
So go take a flight lesson! It’s probably safer than taking a shower, and certainly more fun.
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