The single largest reason for small plane accidents and deaths is pilot error. There is no reason to make the requirements for these pilots simpler or less stringent. If a government cares about it's people it would seek to increase their expertise to increase the margin of safety. This lessening of qualifications is very poor governance.
September 16, 2016
...One of those pilots is Inhofe, (click here) 81, who has had quadruple bypass surgery and a few flying mishaps, such as landing on the wrong runway.
Earlier, Inhofe signed off on a compromise, which would change who could perform FAA-required medical testing required of all private pilots every four years.
The change allows pilots to get the work done by their private physicians. Previously, only FAA-approved doctors could do it. Everyone agreed, and the change became law.
But now Inhofe is pressing for more of his agenda. When the change occurred, the new rules required that physicians certify that pilots are fit to fly. The old rules simply had the doctors submit key metrics to the FAA, which made the judgment calls. Inhofe said he didn’t like that change, but he was willing to accept it to move the ball forward.
Now he wants to go back to submitting data to the FAA without any physician’s certification. He says that requirement puts doctors in a liability situation that few are willing to accept. He also wants to make the pilot’s certification automatic — essentially neutering the FAA’s role — unless the doctor notes cardiovacular disease or psychological or neurological conditions.
We think that is a step too far. We don’t want qualified pilots forced out of the air because they dealt with a heart condition. But we do want real FAA oversight to make sure pilots, their passengers and the public on the ground are safe.
We don’t agree with those who suggest that Inhofe’s efforts are motivated by self-interest. But we think elements of his proposal are too loose. We don’t want to put medical certification on auto-pilot.
December 9, 2014
By Gail Sullivan
A small jet crashed into a home in Montgomery County, killing three onboard and three on the ground.
...In 2012 – the most recent year (click here) for which final statistics are available – a total of ...440 people died in what are known as general aviation airplane crashes in the United States, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The preliminary figure for 2013 is 387. The general aviation category covers small planes, gliders, balloons and other aircraft flown by pilots like Rosenberg.
There are several reasons the risks are higher with small planes. For one, they are piloted by people who don’t fly planes for a living. The rules are looser for amateur pilots, who don’t have to log as many flight hours to be certified. Small planes also land at small airports that may not even have paved runways.
The vast majority of general aviation accidents in 2011 happened because the pilot lost control in-flight. Another common cause was “controlled flight into terrain,” which means the pilot didn’t see the ground, a mountain, a body of water or another obstacle until it was too late....
By Gail Sullivan
A small jet crashed into a home in Montgomery County, killing three onboard and three on the ground.
...In 2012 – the most recent year (click here) for which final statistics are available – a total of ...440 people died in what are known as general aviation airplane crashes in the United States, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The preliminary figure for 2013 is 387. The general aviation category covers small planes, gliders, balloons and other aircraft flown by pilots like Rosenberg.
There are several reasons the risks are higher with small planes. For one, they are piloted by people who don’t fly planes for a living. The rules are looser for amateur pilots, who don’t have to log as many flight hours to be certified. Small planes also land at small airports that may not even have paved runways.
The vast majority of general aviation accidents in 2011 happened because the pilot lost control in-flight. Another common cause was “controlled flight into terrain,” which means the pilot didn’t see the ground, a mountain, a body of water or another obstacle until it was too late....
