Time to refocus on GA safety
Risk is persistent, so our focus must be as well
By Mike Ginter
In last month’s edition of AOPA Pilot, I highlighted the sobering reminders of our aviation realities and the three highly publicized commercial, military, and general aviation fatal accidents that occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Philadelphia, and Nome, Alaska (see “Stay the Course,” April 2025 AOPA Pilot). Since then, our country has experienced several more high-profile aviation accidents, further eroding the nonflying public’s confidence in our aviation system.
A private jet experienced loss of control as it was landing in Scottsdale, Arizona, killing one. In Marana, Arizona, a Cessna 172 and Lancair collided in the landing pattern, killing two aboard the Lancair. In Toronto, a Delta CRJ–900 crashed on landing with, thankfully, zero fatalities. At Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), a catastrophe was avoided when a quick-thinking Southwest crew executed a go-around to avoid colliding with a FlexJet crossing the active runway. And in San Diego, a Navy EA–18G Growler crashed into the water, with both crewmembers ejecting successfully. And a quick scan of the NTSB preliminary database shows us that general aviation aircraft have crashed at a rate of about two every day.
The NTSB is busy investigating these various (nonmilitary) accidents, and I have no doubt the military services, individual airlines, and charter companies are carefully examining their training processes, standard operating procedures, and crew scheduling protocols. The first two months of 2025 propelled aviation onto the front pages while the GA community is just about to kick into high gear across the country. Pilots are busy removing skis and reinstalling floats for business and pleasure flying, ag operators are gearing up for the surge in aerial application business, airshow pilots are practicing and refreshing their aerobatic competency for the upcoming season, and many of us (including me) are finishing winter maintenance and annual inspections so we can attend GA gatherings across the country.
The time is right for the entire flying community to take a short break and refocus on safety. As this issue goes to press, the AOPA Air Safety Institute is leading an industry-wide collaborative planning effort to launch the National Pause for GA Safety, and we will be asking every GA pilot in the United States to participate.
The idea for a safety pause is borrowed from the military culture of safety standdowns and asks that we take a short but dedicated break from flying—maybe an hour or two—to reflect on how we fly and examine the risks in our personal flying. The National Pause for GA Safety will facilitate this individual focus on safety.
Safety standdowns (and safety pauses) are not a new idea. During the third week of June every year, the Firefighter Safety Stand Down occurs. This joint initiative of the Fire Department Safety Officers Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and other professional associations provides a national framework for all firefighters to refocus on safety. Every May, the Sealant, Waterproofing, and Restoration Institute hosts its National Safety Stand Down to help prevent fatalities caused by falls from elevation, which is a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 378 of the 986 construction fatalities in 2021 according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By comparison, GA experienced 195 fatal accidents and just more than 250 fatalities in fiscal year 2024. Clearly, we have room to improve.
The National Pause for GA Safety will simply ask pilots to choose from a list of curated safety content, watch or review that content, and let us know they participated. It’s that simple. By dedicating just an hour to focus on your flying, you are instantly improving your safety culture. And by selecting the safety content that is most interesting to you, you’ll be expanding your understanding of the risk factors inherent in that type of flying. We plan to host this pause through the spring so that every pilot can participate at a time and place convenient to them. If you are a chapter, club, or association leader, we encourage you to make the National Pause for GA Safety a part of your next meeting.
Our goal is for every GA pilot in America to see this invitation and participate. Accordingly, we will be asking our association partners to broadcast the invitation to participate to all their members. Since I am a member of several national flying associations, I expect to get the same invitation through each of these organizations. Please keep an eye open for your personal invitation to participate in the National Pause for GA Safety.
Stay sharp and fly safe!
Mike Ginter spent 27 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring with the rank of captain.
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