CRASHES OF INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHTS

Background: A pilot's basic flight training influences his or her enti re flying career. Instructional flights are involved in more than 300 crashes annually and in 36% of all midair collisions. Research was und ertaken to identify the circumstances of crashes of instructional flig hts and to describe related factors. Methods: We analyzed NTSB data ty pes and 2-page descriptive briefs for 638 crashes that occurred during 1989 and 1991 and that involved a student pilot or a flight for instr uctional purposes. Results: Loss of control on landing characterized 3 6% of all crashes, and crosswinds contributed to 28%. Stalls occurred in 15% of the series and 46% of all fatal crashes. Trainees on solo co mprised 56% of the series; 193 of the 360 students who crashed on solo did so due to loss of control on landing or takeoff. Touch-and-go lan dings accounted for 22% of all crashes on solo. Among the 84 crashes o n crosscountry solos, 26 (31%) were due to running out of fuel. Instru ctors were present in 50% of crashes from stalls and 32% of crashes fr om fuel starvation. Simulated emergencies ended in 49 crashes. The NTS B identified instructor factors as contributory to one-third of cases. Conclusions: Greater emphasis during flight training needs to be plac ed on avoiding stalls and midair collisions, managing crosswinds, and understanding the dynamics of takeoffs and landings prior to solo touc h-and-go practice. Instructors contribute to crashes both directly dur ing dual instruction and indirectly through failure to successfully mo nitor their students and convey the elements necessary for safe and pr oficient flight.