2016 Experimental Accident Numbers Come in Well Under FAA Limit

October 12, 2016 - In September, EAA completed its annual tracking of experimental category fatal accidents, finding that such accidents involving experimental aircraft were well under the FAA-established “not to exceed” limit.

Experimental aircraft were involved in 49 fatal accidents during fiscal year 2016, with amateur-built aircraft accounting for roughly two-thirds of those accidents.

The FAA “not to exceed” number, which is based on the goal of a one percent reduction in accidents from the previous three-year average, was set at 60 for fiscal year 2016.

Experimental fatal accidents saw a decrease of more than 18 percent over fiscal year 2015 data, following a downward trend of fatal accidents in both experimental aircraft and general aviation as a whole.

Even with these promising numbers, EAA remains committed to expanding its role in general aviation safety with the goal of seeing even larger decreases in fatal accidents.

The EAA Founder’s Innovation Prize challenges the experimental community to come forth with innovative solutions to loss of control, the amateur-built safety pledge allows homebuilders to hold themselves accountable for making safety their top priority, and EAA’s STC programs seek to bring affordable safety enhancing equipment to the cockpits of type-certified aircraft.

These initiatives, among others, put EAA on the forefront of ensuring general aviation remains one of the safest forms of transportation available.