Public perception

The resulting negative perception of aviation safety was fed by several factors, including the basic human instinct to understand why fatal accidents occur, lack of clear facts—and sometimes contradictory reports—immediately following an accident, plenty of social media “experts” anxious to publish their views on what might have happened and why, and the time delay in getting the probable cause determinations from the NTSB. It is no wonder that negative narratives spread rapidly in this factual information vacuum.

In their recent article “Fear of Flying: Online Narratives Manipulate Public Perception of Aviation Safety,” Roberta Duffield and Dan Patterson of Blackbird.AI state, “public trust in aviation safety has declined over the past several years, with recent incidents intensifying concerns about regulatory oversight and airline accountability.” After the midair collision between a Blackhawk helicopter and an airliner at DCA in late January, Blackbird.AI’s online narrative tracking software detected a 60-percent spike in fear of flying in news and social media mentions, a 64-percent spike in negative narratives on social media, and a 30-percent rise in news reports on aviation safety concerns. These negative narratives are sometimes amplified by agenda-driven social media posts or conspiracy theories.

In the presence of these negative narratives, public perception of aviation suffers. The nonflying public digest these as confirmation of their own fears. Pilots see it from a different perspective. We naturally want to know if the aircraft or the pilot failed, and why, so we can avoid making the same mistakes. Pilots digest the news with a solid understanding of aerodynamics, regulations, aircraft systems, and how aircraft fly. I do not know of a single pilot who has quit flying because of the media coverage of a major accident, but I know several people who refuse to fly in the aftermath of a major accident.

The increase in negative public perception following a major accident casts a shadow at airports under threat because of noise-conscious neighbors or safety concerns, and it shapes the perspectives of elected leaders at all levels when considering aviation or airport policy.

But the good news is that aviation safety data points to a totally different reality—aviation is far safer than what the public believes. This presents both a great opportunity and an urgent imperative for the general aviation industry. We must be armed with the basic facts about GA safety so we can intelligently respond to negative public perceptions. And we must be ready to respond to these negative public perceptions whenever a major accident occurs. We’ve highlighted safety statistics countless times in our online and print publications, and our annual Richard G. McSpadden Report is published every November and is available online at no cost.

GA pilots have a good story to tell when it comes to safety. In 1950, GA experienced 47 accidents for every 100,000 flight hours. Today, that number is about four—a 90-percent improvement. In 2024, GA achieved its lowest accident rate ever recorded, despite flying more hours than at any point in the past decade, and the downward trend continues today. GA includes more than 209,000 aircraft and 820,000 pilots flying everything from personal and business flights to flight training, humanitarian aid, environmental conservation, life-saving medical flights, and much more.

To put this in perspective, there are about 7,200 commercial airliners flying in the United States today that use less than 10 percent of the 5,100 public use airports. The perceived dangers of GA quickly fade when compared to accident statistics in other industries. According to National Safety Council statistics, in 2023, 355 people were killed in GA accidents, compared to 1,084 in bicycling accidents, 1,736 from choking on food, and 40,990 in motor vehicle accidents.

Our improving safety record is attributed to decades of safety innovation and collaboration between government and industry groups, pilots, air traffic controllers, and many others.

AOPA and the Air Safety Institute are on the front lines providing data-based safety analysis and perspective to elected officials, airport officials, and the general public. Pilots can help by arming themselves with a handful of facts so they can introduce these facts when the conversation turns to safety. We have plenty of work to do to drive the accident rate even lower, and together we can improve the public’s perception of aviation safety.

Stay focused and stay safe!

Mike Ginter is the senior vice president of the AOPA Air Safety Institute. He spent 27 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring with the rank of captain.

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