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Pilot age and error in air taxi crashes
George W Rebok1, Yandong Qiang, Susan P Baker
1Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205-1901, USA. grebok@jhsph.edu
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|July 16, 2009
Summary
Pilot age influences air taxi crash circumstances, but not the types or frequency of pilot errors. This suggests the "safe worker effect" may mitigate age-related differences in pilot error.
Area of Science:
- Aviation Safety
- Human Factors in Aviation
- Accident Investigation
Background:
- Pilot error is a known factor in aviation accidents, but its correlation with pilot characteristics like age is less understood.
- Existing research extensively documents associations between flight operations, weather, and pilot error.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between pilot age and the occurrence and patterns of pilot error in air taxi crashes.
- To determine if pilot age is a significant factor in the types of errors made leading to accidents.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of National Transportation Safety Board investigation reports for air taxi (Part 135) crashes in the U.S. from 1983-2002.
- Statistical analysis (Chi-square tests) to compare crash circumstances and pilot error types across different pilot age groups.
Main Results:
- Pilot age correlated with crash circumstances (day vs. night, on vs. off airport), but not with the prevalence or patterns of pilot error.
- Common pilot errors included flawed decisions, inattentiveness, and mishandling aircraft kinetics.
- Air taxi crashes stemmed from various causes including mechanical failure, loss of control, and fuel starvation.
Conclusions:
- Pilot age does not appear to be a determining factor in the specific types or frequency of pilot errors in air taxi accidents.
- The
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