Analyzing Contributing Factors of Fatal General Aviation Accidents: A Comparison Between Fixed-Wing Planes and Helicopters

The fixed-wing planes and helicopters constitute a major part of the general aviation (GA) industry worldwide. However, both types of aircraft frequently experience accidents resulting in severe injuries. Previous studies have seldom compared the differences in contributing factors between fatal accidents of fixed-wing planes and helicopters. To provide new insights into preventing GA fatalities, this study analyzes 1,325 accidents involving Robinson R22/R44 helicopters and Cessna series fixed-wing planes. The data are collected from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database. Accident information is categorized by time, flight, pilot, aircraft, and meteorology-related factors. Chi-square tests are initially employed to identify factors that may yield significantly different proportions of fatal GA accidents for both types of aircraft. Two binary logit models are then used to relate these factors to the likelihood of fatal accidents for helicopters and fixed-wing planes, respectively. The results indicate that night flights, instrument meteorological conditions, loss of control in-flight, low altitude operations, external loading, maneuvering or enroute phases, and accidents involving fire or explosion significantly increase the likelihood of fatal accidents for both types of aircraft. Specific to helicopters, fuel issues, the approach phase, experienced pilots (flight hours > 5,000), and environmental temperatures >32 °C significantly increase the probability of fatal accidents. In contrast, the prior flight phase and older pilots (age > 55) are associated with a higher probability of fatal accidents for fixed-wing aircraft only.