Accident Rates

The NTSB released airline accident statistics for 2004 that showed a decline from the previous year. Twenty- nine accidents on large U.S. air carriers were recorded in 2004, which is a decrease from the 54 accidents in 2003.

Accident rates for both general aviation airplanes and helicopters also decreased in 2004. General aviation airplane accidents dropped from 1,742 to 1,595, while helicopter accidents declined from 213 to 176. The number of accidents for commuter air services went up somewhat, from 2 accidents in 2003 to 5 in 2004. Air taxi operations went from 76 accidents in 2003 to 68 accidents in 2004. These numbers do not tell the whole story. Because the number of flights and flight hours increased in 2004, accident rates per 100,000 departures or per 100,000 flight hours will likely be even lower. 

CFIT Reduction

Among the top priorities for accident prevention are CFIT and ALAR. Pilots can decrease exposure to a CFIT accident by identifying risk factors and remedies prior to flight. [Figure 1-5] Additional actions on the CFIT reduction front include equipping aircraft with state-of-the art terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS), sometimes referred to as enhanced ground proximity warning systems (EGPWS). This measure alone is expected to reduce CFIT accidents by at least 90 percent. With very few exceptions, all U.S. turbine powered airplanes with more than six passenger seats were required to be equipped with TAWS by March 29, 2005. 

Added training for aircrews and controllers is part of the campaign to safeguard against CFIT, as well as making greater use of approaches with vertical guidance that use a constant angle descent path to the runway. This measure offers nearly a 70 percent potential reduction. Another CFIT action plan involves a check of ground- based radars to ensure that the minimum safe altitude warning (MSAW) feature functions correctly.

Like CFIT, the ALAR campaign features a menu of actions, three of which involve crew training, altitude awareness policies checklists, and smart alerting technology. These three alone offer a potential 20 to 25 percent reduction in approach and landing accidents. Officials representing Safer Skies—a ten-year collaborative effort between the FAA and the airline industry—believe that the combination of CFIT and ALAR interventions will offer more than a 45 percent reduction in accidents.