Australian Study Examines Pilot Incapacitation | Aviation International News

Australian Study Examines Pilot Incapacitation

Smaller airline and general aviation operations had fewer events, but a wider variety of causes was behind the incapacitations.

By Gordon Gilbert • Contributor - Accidents and Regulations

February 22, 2016

Between 2010 and 2014, there were on average 23 cases of pilot incapacitation involving VH-registered airplanes worldwide, according to a study by the Australian Transportation Safety Board. Nearly three-quarters of the events happened in major airline operations—about one in every 34,000 flights—and the main cause was gastrointestinal illness; laser strikes were the next most common. The events usually had minimal effect on these multi-crew flights.

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