Business Aviation Safety Data Expert Bob Breiling Dies

Robert E. Breiling, a business aviation safety expert who pioneered industry accident data collection and analysis, died on January 26, shortly before his eighty-ninth birthday. “As the preeminent business aviation safety data expert, Breiling helped promote standards that have led to improvements in safety and training,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.

Born Feb. 12, 1929, Breiling had an aviation career that spanned seven decades, beginning in 1951, when he joined the U.S. Navy. He became a pilot and flew a McDonnell Banshee F2H-3 and F9F Panther, one of the first aircraft carrier-based fighter jets and Grumman's first fighter jet. Stationed in the Pacific, Breiling flew from the U.S.S. Hornet. Continuing in the Navy Reserves, Breiling served for 24 years, concluding his military career in 1974 as a commander of a Lockheed P-2V squadron

Following his active Navy service, Breiling became a pilot for Pan American World Airways. While serving with the airline, he became involved in the business aviation industry. He had met an aviation insurance executive who was concerned that his clients were purchasing business jets but knew little about them. Breiling, who had accumulated more than 3,000 hours of jet time, was retained as a consultant to visit these operators. Breiling said he would bid long trips with Pan Am to have time to check on the operations. He ultimately joined the insurance industry and began to evaluate new jets and products, and began compiling business jet and turboprop accident statistics.

“It was then that I began to realize that there were a number of different operator types and began classifying each,” Breiling had said. “By categorizing the accident data this way we were able to identify the areas of weakness and also show that the professionally flown jets had a safety record comparable to that of the air carriers.”

This data not only helped advance safety, but was also instrumental in paving the way for an FAA alternate that permitted use of advanced simulators for pilot recurrency requirements. In fact, Breiling left the insurance industry to help found SimuFlite Training International, now part of CAE.

He later returned to the insurance industry, but found so many companies looking for information from him that founded his own aviation safety data business in the 1980s. In addition to helping expand the use of simulation for training, his data further helped support the establishment of Part 91K regulations.

Breiling was actively involved in the industry, serving on the NBAA board of directors from 1973 to 1980, and a regular speaker at NBAA’s and Flight Safety Foundation’s corporate aviation seminars. NBAA in 2012 recognized Breiling’s contributions to the business aviation community with its Jack Doswell Award. The recognition was especially rewarding for Breiling, who had worked alongside Doswell on NBAA issues.

Breiling continued to compile the safety data throughout the years, turning his business over to the International Business Aviation Council and NBAA in 2015. He continued to gather data for a few years, retiring completely within the past year.