Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

General aviation’s “energetic efforts” to tackle the fatal accident rate are continuing to produce encouraging results, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) <a href="https://www.aopa.org/-/media/files/aopa/home/training-and-safety/nall-report/27thnallreport2018.pdf?la=en">27th Joseph T. Nall Repo</a><a href="http://www.aopa.org/-/media/files/aopa/home/training-and-safety/nall-report/27thnallreport2018.pdf?la=en">rt</a> and further ASI data included its “<a href="https://www.aopa.org/-/media/files/aopa/home/training-and-safety/nall-report/20162017accidentscorecard.pdf?la=en">2016-2017 GA Accident Scorecard</a>.”

 


The Nall report provides an in-depth look at general aviation accidents from the most complete year that information is available (in which the National Transportation Safety Board has determined the probable cause of 80 percent of the accidents), as well as trends over time. The 27th edition, released late last week, includes information on 2015, finding that the fatal GA accident rate fell below one per 100,000 hours. In all, general aviation aircraft were involved in 1,173 total accidents, 221 of which were fatal resulting in 375 fatalities. The number of fatal accidents was down 4 percent over the 229 in 2014. This declined occurred during a year when flight hours increased by 3.6 percent, reaching 23.98 million. “So we’re flying more and having fewer fatalities,” said executive director Richard McSpadden.

 


“This decrease in fatal&nbsp;GA accidents can be attributed to numerous industry initiatives designed to reduce those accidents by 1 percent every year from 2008 to 2018,” the report said. However, the total number of accidents had increased, by 10 from 2014 to 2015, a result that ASI attributes to the increase in flight hours. The institute stressed that the data “appeared to confirm that the general aviation industry’s extensive outreach on safety was making its mark.”

 


In fact, more current data furthers that belief. Along with the Nall report, the ASI released its "2016-2017 GA Accident Scorecard," a brief summary that found that the GA fatal accident rate continued to decline over the subsequent two years. In addition, “initial data from 2017 indicates that 2017 will reveal a fourth straight year as well.” Initial data suggests that the number of general aviation accidents fell from 1,505 in 2008 to 1,193 in 2017, and fatal accidents declined from 269 in 2008 to 185 last year.

 


The more detailed look at the Nall report, however, highlighted the continued need to focus on training, with pilot-related accidents accounting for 74 percent of the non-commercial accident total during 2015. Raw numbers of 714 pilot-related accidents, however, reached the lowest level in 10 years despite a spike in 2014. Mechanical-related accidents comprised 16 percent of accidents and other and unknown causes accounted for 10 percent of non-commercial accidents.

 


Nearly half (49.2 percent) of the pilots involved in non-commercial general aviation accidents were private pilots.&nbsp;Another 26.7 percent had commercial ratings, and 12.9 percent held ATPs. Light-sport pilots, meanwhile, accounted for 2.8 percent of the total.

 


In the 76 non-commercial accidents (including 13 fatals) involving fuel management, flight planning was the largest cause.&nbsp;However, fuel contamination was involved in three fatalities. Weather factored into 38 accidents, including 29 fatal. This marked a two-year downward trend.

 


Takeoff and climb accidents continued a three-year downward trend, involving 108 total accidents and 19 fatals. Most of the total accidents stemmed from loss of control while the highest number of fatal accidents involved “stalled or settled” on takeoff.

 


The 32 fatal non-commercial accidents attributed to maneuvering marked a two-year upward trend.&nbsp;The total of 44 maneuvering accidents, however, was a dip from 2014. Stall and loss of control remain the major cause of accidents in general&nbsp;and fatal accidents in particular.

 


Forty-three non-commercial accidents occurred on descent, with 15 being fatal.&nbsp;The largest category for non-commercial accidents remains landing, with 262 total.&nbsp;But unlike other phases of flight, it has some of the fewest fatal accidents, with three in 2015.

 


As for commercial general aviation, Part 137 aerial application operations accounted for a majority of the accidents in general aviation, followed by Part 135 charter or cargo.

 


Most accidents for aerial application aircraft occurred during takeoff, following by maneuvering. In Part 135, however, most accidents occurred during landing. Mechanical accidents were the second most frequent category of accidents.

 


&nbsp;“While these numbers follow a long trend of data and appear consistent year to year, progress is being made to reduce the types of pilot- and mechanical-related accidents,” the report said.

 


ASI’s McSpadden emphasized that the industry must collaborate on ways to improve knowledge, training, proficiency, equipment, and culture.

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