Midair Collisions Over a Period of Technological Advances Targeting Human Performance Deficits

Midair collisions (MACs), while rare for air carriers, are not infrequent for general aviation, partly reflecting the limitations of the see-and-avoid method. However, considering technological advances potentially offsetting ocular limitations and little research on the subject, we sought to determine 1) whether the MAC rate has declined over time and 2) the underlying causes.

MACs' (1995-2023) injury severity, mission type, and ambient conditions were per the National Transportation Safety Board database. Statistics used Poisson distributions/Chi-square tests.

There were 480 aircraft (90% and 8% fixed-/rotary-wing aircraft, respectively) involved in 257 midair events. Despite an overall decline (63% reduction) in MAC rates (2020-2023), the proportion of fatal events (44-58%) was unchanged. Aircraft engaged in personal and training missions represented 61% and 24% of MACs, respectively, with the training mission MAC rate declining 70%. Although traffic density is highest surrounding aerodromes, surprisingly, only half of the MACs were within this environment. MAC rates, adjusted for arrival/departure counts, at aerodromes with a control tower were 6.5-fold lower compared with airports lacking such a facility. However, some MACs were still evident for aircraft receiving traffic deconfliction services, and for such mishaps, 78% were due to pilots not maintaining visual separation.

The following recommendations are advanced. General aviation authorities and organizations should update pilot training curricula and safety programs to include training on physiological limitations, e.g. field of vision deterioration with advancing age. Further, the findings herein warrant future research to determine whether over-reliance on electronic traffic displays and panel modernization negatively impact external visual scanning. Boyd D, Anderson C. Midair collisions over a period of technological advances targeting human performance deficits. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2026; 97(6):443-450.