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  #1  
Old 01-03-2010, 12:16 PM
B25Flyer B25Flyer is offline
 
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Default 2009 Fatal RV Accidents

Every year I compile the data on Fatal Warbird accidents. I have over 20 years collected.

Today was the day. I went to the NTSB site and searched for fatal accidents. Normally that yields just over 300 reports. This year it was 258. There may be a few end of the year stragglers come in, but doubtful any are warbirds. It figures, flying was down, so were the accidents.

This year there were 6 fatal Warbird accidents that claimed 7 lives... The average over the last 20 years is about 10. Way too many!!!!

Last year for a presentation I did for the MN RVators I searched the RV fatals and found 10 accidents with 11 fatalities in 2008. For '09 I found 12 Fatal accidents claimed 18 lives in RVs this year....

This is not a good trend. The next logical question is, "What caused all these accidents?" I did not read all the reports. I don't know what lessons they hold but should some seek to learn those lessons, do it with this admonition.

Read accident reports looking for the things that you do, not looking for the things that you don't do.... Looking for the things that the accident victim did, that you do not, is a counter-productive exercise in rationalization.

John and Martha King talk about, "The Big Lie." Telling ourselves that flying is safe is a lie. It is not, it is dangerous, and we should approach it that way. Flying GA airplanes is about as dangerous as riding Motorcycles on the highway. And while I don't have exact numbers, flying RVs is more dangerous than that.

Don't take this as a suggestion that anyone stop flying, but simply as a push to acknowledge the risks honestly and act appropriately.

Fly Safe in '10
Doug Rozendaal
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  #2  
Old 01-03-2010, 01:20 PM
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RickWoodall RickWoodall is offline
 
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Default Thanks.

Well stated.

Thank for the info. I enjoy hearing this type of stat and trying to learn from others mistakes as I read through reports....so I dont become one. Those that dont ever make dumb mistakes are in denial. I just try to learn and always work at being a better pilot.

Cheers
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9a -TMX io-320, catto three blade, dual dynon hdx with a/p. 900+ hrs in 8 yrs flying.

Flew to Osh 11,12,15,17,19. SNF 2013. West to Cali /Washington/Vancouver/crossed the Rockies north to Red Deer east to Moosonee and over to maritimes. South to Jekyll Isl, cedar key, and Key West etc. 6 trips and 17 islands of the Bahamas. Flown turtles and dogs for Pilots n Paws too. Love our Rv's
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  #3  
Old 01-03-2010, 02:11 PM
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LettersFromFlyoverCountry LettersFromFlyoverCountry is offline
 
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I was just thinking today whether I should do the 2009 year in review for accidents. In recent years, the rate of fatalities per flying RV has been pretty consistent. I had 15 killed in '08, but I might've include Rockets; I can't recall.
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Last edited by LettersFromFlyoverCountry : 01-03-2010 at 02:18 PM.
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  #4  
Old 01-03-2010, 02:40 PM
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Phil Phil is offline
 
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I've got 17 this year. Not counting those who might have registered as something other than "RV".

http://tinyurl.com/ye8lm9f

Phil
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  #5  
Old 01-03-2010, 02:45 PM
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Phil Phil is offline
 
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Make that 18.... Bob Milne's accident wasn't included.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?...09LA236&rpt=fa

Phil
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  #6  
Old 01-03-2010, 02:58 PM
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G-force G-force is offline
 
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As the number of flying RV's increase, its to be expected that the total number of RV accidents increases as well. Vans RV meter is over 6,500 right now, just a couple short years ago I think it was around 4,000.
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  #7  
Old 01-03-2010, 04:16 PM
B25Flyer B25Flyer is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by G-force View Post
As the number of flying RV's increase, its to be expected that the total number of RV accidents increases as well. Vans RV meter is over 6,500 right now, just a couple short years ago I think it was around 4,000.
True enough, but that is 12 fatal accidents for 6500 airplanes. That is one fatal accident for every 541 airplanes. I am not a statistician, but my public school math says that if you flew for 5 years that would be a 1 in 100 chance of being in a fatal accident.

Does anybody think that is an acceptable statistic?

We all want to believe these are great little safe airplanes, and they are, but the statisitics show they are much more likely to crash than a spam can... What gives?

That is the hard question and requires an honest and uncomfortable converstation with the pilot in the mirror.....
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  #8  
Old 01-03-2010, 04:39 PM
Kyle Boatright Kyle Boatright is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B25Flyer View Post
We all want to believe these are great little safe airplanes, and they are, but the statisitics show they are much more likely to crash than a spam can... What gives?

That is the hard question and requires an honest and uncomfortable converstation with the pilot in the mirror.....
The honest and uncomfortable answer for RV's and other GA types is that the guy in the mirror is the driving force in most accidents. RV's are subject to the same weather related, random mechanical, and other issues as other GA types. However, the aircraft's performance, the type of pilot that attracts, and the type of flying it encourages lead to a higher accident rate.

Who hasn't seen an RV pilot do a low altitude roll on takeoff or after a buzz job? Dish the roll and die, that's how it works. Same thing with formation flying - it's a high risk activity and when you get it wrong, you're prone to die. We've had at least 3 formation related fatalities in the last few years.

Oftentimes, it ain't the airplane, it's the nut attached to the stick.
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  #9  
Old 01-03-2010, 05:12 PM
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rocketbob rocketbob is offline
 
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I once read somewhere that there are three main causes which account for 90% of accidents: Approach/departure stalls, fuel mismanagement, and continued VFR into instrument conditions. These accidents are very, very preventable. Eliminating the accidents that fall into these three categories from all fatal accidents, you take flying danger from being mid-way between car and motorcycle travel to way better than by car.

Two RV fatalities I'm familiar with from the past year fall into bucket #1. Both stalled on approach, one was off-field when the engine quit.
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Last edited by rocketbob : 01-03-2010 at 07:42 PM.
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  #10  
Old 01-03-2010, 05:59 PM
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Geico266 Geico266 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rocketbob View Post
I once read somewhere that there are main causes which account for 90% of accidents: Approach/departure stalls, fuel mismanagement, and continued VFR into instrument conditions. These accidents are very, very preventable. Eliminating the accidents that fall into these three categories from all fatal accidents, you take flying danger from being mid-way between car and motorcycle travel to way better than by car.

Two RV fatalities I'm familiar with from the past year fall into bucket #1. Both stalled on approach, one was off-field when the engine quit.
BOB! I like the new doo man!
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