Experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft represent nearly 10 percent of the U.S. general aviation fleet, but these aircraft accounted for approximately 15 percent of the total and 21 percent of the fatal U.S. general aviation accidents in 2011. Experimental amateur-built aircraft represent a growing segment of the United States general aviation fleet--a segment that now numbers nearly 33,000 aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board undertook this study because of the popularity of E-AB aircraft, concerns over their safety record, and the absence of a contemporary and definitive analysis of E-AB aircraft safety. The study employed several different methods and data collection procedures to carefully examine this segment of U.S. civil aviation. This comprehensive approach resulted in a detailed characterization of the current E-AB aircraft fleet, pilot population, and associated accidents. Areas identified for safety improvement include expanding the documentation requirements for initial aircraft airworthiness certification, verifying the completion of Phase I flight testing, improving pilots access to transition training and supporting efforts to facilitate that training, encouraging the use of recorded data during flight testing, ensuring that buyers of used E-AB aircraft receive necessary performance documentation, and improving aircraft identification in registry records.


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    Title :

    Safety of Experimental Amateur-Built Aircraft


    Publication date :

    2012


    Size :

    169 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English