For our private use, I have excerpted some items from the following
article available at AOPA Online:
Skill and judgment keep you safe in the air and on the ground
BY BRUCE LANDSBERG (From AOPA Pilot, June
2005.)
Here's an item on fuel. The implication is that good fuel
quantity information (especially about low amounts) can reduce
accidents.
It's amazing that fuel mismanagement still occupies a significant line item
in the statistics. In 1994, just more than 14 percent of the accidents involved
attempting to run an engine on pure air, and by 2003 the number had only dropped
to 12.8 percent. New production aircraft are doing better in this category and
the gold star goes to Cessna, whose new production singles, more than 5,000
built since 1995 when it completely redesigned the low-fuel-warning system, have
not had a single fuel-mismanagement accident.
Maybe the better weather equipment coming available can help with this
statistic - Of course, decisions are made by pilots.
Accidents involving poor-weather decision making remain essentially flat,
accounting for about 4 percent of the total and 14 percent of the fatal mishaps.
Here is an example where training and practice would help.
Accidents that occur during go-around remain stubbornly at roughly 4 percent
for both total and fatal mishaps. Our observation is that some pilots lack basic
physical aircraft handling skills and that this maneuver is seldom
practiced.
Note the last line for this high percentage accident area.
Every flight ends in a landing and some just aren't very successful.
Unfortunately, the total trend is up and landing accidents continue to account
for more than 30 percent of the total, but only about 3 percent of the fatals.
..... More accidents occur during landing than any other phase of
flight. .... Low-time pilots and those new to a particular model of
aircraft are the most vulnerable.
Be safe out there!
Scott Krueger
AKA Grayhawk
Lancair N92EX IO320 SB 89/96
Aurora, IL
(KARR)