It is widely known that commercial aircraft accidents are becoming rarer and rarer by the day. In fact, it is often said that one is more likely to die driving to the airport than on a commercial plane. But this doesn’t hold true for smaller planes. While some of these light aircraft crashes only cause damage to the plane, they have also led to the death of many individuals including high-profile figures.
There are quite a number of varying reasons why light aircraft are more susceptible to fatal and non-fatal crashes and accidents.
So, Why do so many light airplanes crash? Generally, most fatal light aircraft accidents are caused by pilot errors while non-fatal incidents are mostly a result of bad landing conditions.
But the reasons behind a handful of these accidents aren’t always so easy to decipher. In 2014, a USA Today investigation revealed that some small plane crashes blamed on pilot error could actually have been induced by defective airplane parts and dangerous designs.
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Plane Crash Statistics
It may be an unpleasant fact but it is true that in spite of the advanced technologies in aviation today, airplanes still crash.
More unsettling is the fact that there are years when plane crash fatalities increase as compared to the previous ones. For example, the number of deaths as a result of plane crashes recorded in 2018 in the U.S. alone was 393—a 13.2% increase from 347 in 2017. An overwhelmingly large percentage of these plane crashes involve light aircraft.
Every single aircraft accident in every country is reported to the appropriate transportation authorities. Some of these authorities include the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) in the US, Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) in the UK and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in the EU. These bodies are responsible for regulating safety standards and producing unbiased reports on aircraft accidents in each region.
In 2019, NTSB in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a report stating that the fatal aviation accident rate had risen a little above 1 per 100,000 flight hours. This was for the first time in two years. More specifically, it was revealed that there are now approximately 3 small plane crashes in the US alone every day.
Air safety statistics in the EU by EASA create an even more vivid representation of how light aircraft accidents compare to crashes involving larger planes. The pie chart below shows a fatality rate percentage relationship between different categories of aircraft accidents that occurred in 2018. Light aircraft are categorized as aircraft below 2250kg Maximum TakeOff Mass (MTOM).
This chart reveals that a staggering 84% of all aviation fatalities in the EU in 2018 were caused by light aircraft crashes. A majority (about 70%) of these small plane crashes were recorded in France, Germany, and Italy.
For a wider perspective, data taken over a period of 5 years (from 2014 to 2018) were also compared using the same categories. And the results weren’t any much different.
Over the specified period of time, a staggering 762 people died in light aircraft accidents compared to the 188 in commercial plane crashes. Considering that light aircraft carry less than 10 passengers on average, it becomes evident that there were way more small plane crashes than commercial.
Reasons Behind Frequent Light Aircraft Crashes
When commercial planes crash, a lot of resources are often dedicated to detecting the factors responsible for the accident.This is mainly due to the large number of casualties involved.
However, in the case of light aircraft, it is often rampant that authorities do not dive as deep into the investigation. Nonetheless, it is very clear that the risks involved in flying light aircraft are significantly higher. Based on available data, the vast majority of small plane crashes are caused by pilot error. Other culpable factors include mechanical faults, weather, and landing conditions.
Pilot Errors
Piloting a plane is a highly technical skill that requires the pilot to remain extremely alert, calm and prepared at all times. Most small general aviation pilots are yet to master this skill.
Unlike in commercial aviation, small plane pilots do not need to register as many flight hours before they are qualified to fly these planes. A commercial airliner pilot has been well trained as a professional and generally follows very strict laid down procedures when flying. These procedures and workflows often help to limit the possibility of an error or mistake occurring. His training also enables him to react more rapidly and more efficiently when faced with unforeseen circumstances.
Light aircraft pilots, on the other hand, usually cannot boast as much experience and training. Private pilots are of course mandated to undergo training and proficiency tests once in two years but the prerequisite requirements are often minimal. They also may not be up-to-speed on the latest avionic tools and safety technologies.
This disadvantage coupled with the absence of a co-pilot increases the chances of a crash occurring. Most of these pilot errors are classified under the general category called “loss of control“. This broadly refers to any situation in which the pilot cannot successfully bring the plane under control before hitting the ground.
PS: This is not true for ALL small plane pilots. Light aircraft pilots can range from highly experienced retired commercial and military pilots to individuals who barely completed their private pilot training recently.
Mechanical Faults
This is one other highly dominant contributing factor in light aircraft crashes. The laws and regulations that dictate the operability of commercial airliners do not often apply with small aircraft. Commercial planes are highly regulated using strict standards and very reliable safety margins. In most cases, a small airplane is deemed airworthy based mostly on the pilot’s judgment and experience.
Private planes are also often less capable than the heavier ones. A good example is that small aircraft regularly have just one engine. In the event when one engine fails, there is hardly any escape route, unlike commercial planes that are fitted with 2 engines at least. So, light aircraft have less regulatory equipment and structure which makes them more prone to mechanical faults. Maintenance is also less efficiently implemented in smaller planes.
Weather
This factor is also closely related to the limitations of light aircraft. Weather is definitely a key factor responsible for plane crashes even in commercial aviation. But the risk is considerably higher with small planes.
Because they have lower maximum altitude limits, light aircraft may find it harder to maneuver unfavorable weather conditions. The pilot’s experience can also be a major deciding factor between life and death in such circumstances.
Landing Conditions
Compared to bigger commercial airplanes, light aircraft more often than not are required to land on rather unconventional runways. Commercial planes regularly fly to standard airports with standard navigation equipment. By practice, the pilots become more accustomed to these routes and can easily avoid difficult situations. Private pilots, on the other hand, have to fly to all kinds of airports and perform riskier landing procedures.
Here is an interesting video you might enjoy that covers some more aspects:
Improving Light Aircraft Safety
Considering the nature of small general aviation, safety management procedures must remain flexible enough to accommodate different communities and professionals. However, the high rate of crashes and fatalities creates a direct challenge to the concerned safety authorities. These bodies, however, employ various strategies to ensure that light aircraft can be as safe as possible.
One good example is the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which is working together with other important aviation sectors to accomplish this task of reducing light aircraft risk. The organization is focused on using a non-regulatory, proactive, and data-driven approach to get the desired results.
They are working hand in hand with manufacturers to produce more reliable light aircraft that are equipped with more advanced avionic systems and require less maintenance expertise. This initiative is largely driven by the NextGen program—a program responsible for safety technologies like the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). ADS-B helps to transform light aircraft surveillance by making use of satellite-based positioning.
Summary
Without a doubt, light aircraft aren’t as safe as we would like them to be. Making up over 84% of the total number of aviation fatalities in 2018, it is clear that a lot of improvement is required in the sector. Factors like pilot errors, mechanical faults, bad weather, and poor landing conditions contribute to the high frequency of light aircraft crashes. Nevertheless, improving technologies and possible standard upgrades in the nearest future provide sufficient reason to expect improved light aircraft safety.
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