In September 2014, the FAA and EAA collaborated on AC 90-116, Additional Pilot Program for Phase I Flight Test. This program, born out of a decade of safety discussions and a working group led by EAA, allows experimental amateur-built aircraft builders the option to include an additional qualified pilot during flight testing. The aim is to improve Builder/Owner Pilot (BP) skills and mitigate the risks associated with Phase I flight testing. This change was implemented in response to years of data showing that a majority of E-AB accidents occur within the first eight hours of flight testing, primarily due to pilot loss-of-control events.
Since its inception, the program has contributed to a noticeable decrease in fatal E-AB accidents, with a decline from 6.12 fatal accidents per 100,000 E-AB flight hours in 2014 to 3.39 fatal accidents per 100,000 E-AB flight hours in 2020.
