Story ID: 
Flight Training Fatal Accidents Drop 50 Percent
By: Mark Huber
Caption: Study shows 20-year reduction in flight training fatal accidents
Word Count: 244
The fatal flight training accident rate improved by nearly 50 percent between 2000 and 2019, according to a study released by the AOPA Air Safety Institute and Liberty University’s School of Aeronautics. The accident rate per 100,000 flight hours dropped from 0.49 in the 2000 to 2004 period to 0.26 for the aggregate years of 2015 to 2019. The total number of fatal accidents over the period from 2000 to 2019 was 287.
The study partially credited the progress to the incorporation of more affordable advanced technologies and better aircraft crashworthiness as driving these reductions. Items cited included modern avionics with features such as angle of attack indicators, flight envelope protection, traffic displays, moving map displays, and terrain overlays as well as occupant safety devices such as shoulder harnesses and airbags.
 
The leading causes of training accidents ranked in order were loss of control inflight (LOC-I), midair collisions, and controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). Loss of control accidents were primarily stall- or spin-related, Vmc rolls in twin-engine aircraft following loss of power in one engine or asymmetric power settings, spatial disorientation, and structural load exceedance. The most fatal flight phase for loss of control was takeoff/climb/go-around, accounting for 48 of the 155 accidents, followed by maneuvering and emergency procedures.
Report data included both solo and dual instructional operations in piston single and twin aircraft with engines under 500 horsepower. It excluded amateur-built, light-sport, twin-engine with more than six seats, and single-engine aircraft with more than 500 horsepower.