The global business aviation accident rate is laudably low. We have a right to be proud of our safety record, right? Yes and no.
Business aviation aircraft often are equipped with the latest technology, so today it is much harder to unknowingly drive one aircraft into another, into a hillside or into a thunderstorm. Avionics advances preclude many catastrophic accidents.
On another front, business aviation training technology and standards are leading the aviation industry. The knowledge of our aircraft and how they perform is pervasive because of the excellence of our airframe manufacturers (OEMs) and training vendors. Additionally, the OEMs are developing fly-by-wire systems that are lighter and easier to manufacture and will help prevent bad days caused by poor piloting.
Even so, we have substantial room to improve. We still incur injuries and damage aircraft at unacceptable rates. There are three factors we must address to achieve the next level of safety:
- Redefine bu…
