Story ID: 
Experimental Aircraft Fatalities Continue Descent
By: Jerry Siebenmark
Caption: Lowering fatal accidents in experimental-category aircraft is key to growing participation in aviation, EAA official said.
Word Count: 164
Fatal accidents in experimental-category aircraft fell 2 percent between the FAA’s Fiscal Year 2017 and 2018, the Experimental Aircraft Association said this week, continuing a four-year decline. In the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2018, fatal accidents in the category totaled 44. FY 2018’s total also was nearly 14 percent lower than the FAA’s “not-to-exceed” threshold of 51 fatality accidents for the period, EAA said. 

“The FAA has challenged our community by lowering the not-to-exceed goal by nearly 20 percent since 2015, but we have met and surpassed that goal,” said EAA v-p of advocacy and safety Sean Elliott. “These are historic lows for fatal accidents in amateur-built and experimental category aircraft.”

EAA attributed the declines to working closely with the FAA and NTSB on recommendations to reduce fatal accidents, including co-chairing the FAA General Aviation Joint Steering Committee. “Further reducing the accident totals is a continuing challenge, but one that is foremost as part of EAA’s mission to boost participation in aviation," Elliott said.