Fatal accidents in general aviation.
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Accidents, Aviation↗
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Analysis of 2004 German general aviation aircraft accidents according to the HFACS model.
INTRODUCTION: The number of aircraft accidents remains on a constant level since the late 1990s. Routine analysis in detail of the causative factors is not carried out in Germany. The analysis of flight mishaps has been demonstrated to be an important basis for flight safety. The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) model is best suitable for aircraft accident analysis. The aim of this study was to classify aircraft accidents in the General Aviation (GA) of Germany according to the HFACS model and to figure out the underlying causes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analysis was performed with the HFACS model and on the basis of the regularly published reports of the German state department for aircraft accident analysis (BFU) including accidents (but not incidents) of GA aircraft flown by German pilots in Germany and in other countries. The underlying reasons were classified as follows: pilot errors, organizational factors, ergonomic factors, aeromedical problems, and crew resource management. Additionally, the phase of the flight was classified. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-nine GA aircraft accidents were registered in 2004 in Germany. Eighty-seven (36%) were reported in the class up to 2 tons, six (3%) in the class of 2.0 to 5.7 tons, 28 (12%) for Touring Motor Gliders (TMG), and 118 (49%) for gliders. Of these accidents, 54 (35 crewmembers and 19 passengers) aircraft occupants survived slightly injured, 35 (23 crewmembers and 12 passengers) were seriously injured, and 34 (21 crewmembers and 13 passengers) were killed. Data for uninjured aircraft occupants were not available. Most accidents happened on summer weekends during approach and landing (53%) due to pilot errors (84%). CONCLUSIONS: Our data mainly seem to be in concordance with previously published data on GA. An improvement of flight safety can be achieved only with a detailed analysis of the accident data. Therefore, more data on aircraft accidents in Germany are needed, for example, by adapting the German aircraft accident report form. Pilots should train in approaches and landings to conduct a higher level of proficiency.
Accidents, Aviation↗
Demographic influences on risk perceptions.
Over the past 15 years, psychologists have empirically investigated how people perceive technological, consumer, and natural hazards. The psychometric-attitudes to risk being summarized by three factors: "dread," whether the risk is known, and personal exposure to the risk. The results have been used to suggest that certain types of hazards are viewed very differently from other hazards. The purpose of this paper is somewhat different, in that it investigates whether individual demographic characteristics influence psychometric perceptions of risk. This paper makes use of a large, professionally conducted, survey of a wide cross-section of the residents of metropolitan Chicago. One thousand adults were interviewed in a random-digit dial telephone survey, producing a useable dataset of about 800. Data on the three risk factors mentioned above were obtained on 7-point scales for four common hazards: aviation accidents, fires in the home, automobile accidents, and stomach cancer. The survey also collected demographic data on respondents' age, schooling, income, sex, and race. Regressions were then conducted to relate the demographic characteristics to risk perceptions. Some strong general conclusions can be drawn. The results suggest that women, people with lower levels of schooling and income, younger people, and blacks have more dread of hazards. The exception being age-related illnesses which, not unnaturally, are feared by older people. Unlike previous literature, we cannot substantiate the argument that these groups of people are less informed about hazards and thus less accepting of them. The most likely leading explanation of the relationship between demographic factors and dread of a hazard is the perceived personal exposure to the hazard.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Accidents, Aviation↗
Are pilots at risk of accidents due to fatigue?
PROBLEM: There is concern in the aviation community that pilot schedules can lead to fatigue and increased chance of an aviation accident. Yet despite this concern, there is little empirical analysis showing the relationship between pilot schedules and commercial aviation accidents. This study attempts to demonstrate an empirical relationship between pilot schedules and aviation accidents. METHOD: Data for human factors-related accidents and pilot work patterns were identified. The distribution of pilot work schedule parameters for the accidents was compared to that for all pilots using a chi-square test to determine if the proportions of accidents and length of duty exposure were the same. If the distributions are the same, then one could infer that pilot human factor accidents are not affected by work schedule parameters. RESULTS: The proportion of accidents associated with pilots having longer duty periods is higher than the proportion of longer duty periods for all pilots. DISCUSSION: There is a discernible pattern of increased probability of an accident as duty time increases for commercial aircraft pilots in the United States. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The analysis suggests that establishing limits on duty time for commercial pilots would reduce risk. Such a rule is likely to be expensive and could substantially impact the commercial airlines. In return, there is likely to be a reduction in the risk of commercial aviation accidents due to pilot fatigue.
Accidents, Occupational↗
[Aviation medicine & airplane accidents].
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Accidents↗
Prevalence of cardiovascular abnormalities in pilots involved in fatal general aviation airplane accidents.
INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular disease in general and coronary heart disease in particular remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Coronary artery disease is of concern in aviation because of its potential to cause sudden in-flight incapacitation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cardiovascular abnormalities in pilots involved in fatal general aviation airplane accidents. METHOD: A comprehensive review was performed of all cardiovascular abnormalities detected during autopsies conducted on pilots involved in fatal fixed-wing general aviation aircraft accidents in the U.S. from 1996-1999. Data was obtained from the database maintained at Civil Aerospace Medical Institute in Oklahoma City. RESULTS: An analysis of 534 autopsy reports revealed presence of cardiovascular abnormalities in 234 pilots (prevalence rate 43.82%). Coronary artery stenosis had a prevalence rate of 37.64%. There were 41 pilots who had evidence of severe atherosclerosis of the left coronary artery. This was significantly associated with stenosis of the right coronary and circumflex arteries. There was a statistically significant relation between coronary atherosclerosis and advancing age. DISCUSSION: Although the overall prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis is lower than previously reported, evidence of severe atherosclerosis was found in a relatively high percentage of pilots and may be a cause for concern. The findings have implications for aircrew health education and primary prevention programs. There is also a need for more standardized data collection.
Accidents, Aviation↗
Alcohol and aviation.
Aviation accidents due to alcohol consumption by aircrew appear to be rare, especially in commercial aviation. However, a small proportion of general aviation accidents are attributable to alcohol use by aircrew, and aircrew are not well informed about the metabolism of alcohol and its effects on performance. Furthermore, there is evidence that aircrew performance may be impaired by alcohol consumption even after their Blood Alcohol Concentration has returned to "zero" (i.e. < 5 mg/dl). Accidents caused by impairment of aircrew performance by alcohol may therefore not be attributed to alcohol use at all. Aviation safety relies upon faultless human performance and is thus highly sensitive to alcohol-related impairment of performance. This paper provides a review of research regarding aircrew alcohol consumption, impairment of aircrew performance by alcohol, incidence of aviation accidents attributable to alcohol use by aircrew, and other related subjects.
Accidents, Aviation↗
Mortality from cancer and other causes among male airline cockpit crew in Europe.
Airline pilots and flight engineers are exposed to ionizing radiation of cosmic origin and other occupational and life-style factors that may influence their health status and mortality. In a cohort study in 9 European countries we studied the mortality of this occupational group. Cockpit crew cohorts were identified and followed-up in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Norway and Sweden, including a total of 28,000 persons. Observed and expected deaths for the period 1960-97 were compared based on national mortality rates. The influence of period and duration of employment was analyzed in stratified and Poisson regression analyses. The study comprised 547,564 person-years at risk, and 2,244 deaths were recorded in male cockpit crew (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61-0.67). Overall cancer mortality was decreased (SMR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.63-0.74). We found an increased mortality from malignant melanoma (SMR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.15-2.67) and a reduced mortality from lung cancer (SMR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.44-0.62). No consistent association between employment period or duration and cancer mortality was observed. A low cardiovascular mortality and an increased mortality caused by aviation accidents were noted. Our study shows that cockpit crew have a low overall mortality. The results are consistent with previous reports of an increased risk of malignant melanoma in airline pilots. Occupational risk factors apart from aircraft accidents seem to be of limited influence with regard to the mortality of cockpit crew in Europe.
Accidents, Aviation↗
Formation of an interfering substance, 3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidine, during a pseudoephedrine urinalysis.
During fatal aviation accident investigations, biosamples from the victims are submitted to the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) for drug analysis. In the process of one such analysis by CAMI, an unknown substance was found in a urine sample. Simultaneous screening by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromatography/FID (GC/FID) suggested the presence of pseudoephedrine. A subsequent routine confirmation analysis of a separate urine aliquot by GC Fourier transform infrared (GC/FTIR) and GC mass spectrometry (GC/MS) indicated that the retention times of the unknown substance matched with those of pseudoephedrine. However, its infrared and mass spectra were different--the -OH and -NH groups were missing, a C-O-C group was present, and the molar mass was 12 atomic mass units (amu) more than that of pseudoephedrine. A subsequent literature search suggested that ephedrine-like amines react with aldehydes to form oxazolidines. Therefore, the 12-amu increase could be accounted for by condensation of pseudoephedrine with formaldehyde. Since this aldehyde is present in various grades of methanol and ethyl acetate, and these solvents were used during the solid-phase extraction, 3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidine was synthesized by using (+)-pseudoephedrine HCl and formaldehyde. The analytical findings of the synthesized compound were consistent with those of the unknown interfering substance, confirming that it was the oxazolidine. Aldehyde contaminants in solvents or specimens can transform drugs of interest and may result in misidentification of a compound originally present in specimens. Therefore, chemicals used in analyses should be of the highest available purity, and a multi-analytical approach should be adopted to maintain a high degree of quality assurance.
Accidents, Aviation↗
Routine electroencephalograms of pilots later killed in crashes: a case-control study.
BACKGROUND: The value of the electroencephalogram (EEG) as a screening tool in aviation medicine is subject to debate. We evaluated the use of periodic repetition of the EEG--after an initial EEG screening-in healthy, fully-licensed pilots to identify risk factors for fatal air crashes. METHODS: In a nested case-control study, we compared the EEG patterns of 33 pilots who died in military aviation accidents from 1990 to 2001 with the recordings of 66 controls. Cases and controls were matched for potentially confounding factors such as age, military membership, type of aircraft, and aeronautical experience. RESULTS: Both groups presented normal EEGs. EEG findings in cases and controls did not differ; nonspecific EEG abnormalities did not occur more frequently in those pilots who crashed. CONCLUSIONS: After an initial EEG screening, periodic repetition of the EEG is not a useful means to detect risk for fatal air crashes.
Accidents, Aviation↗
The bite of Jesuits' bark.
Cinchonism is the well-known syndrome of quinine overdose involving disturbances of vision, hearing, and balance, which has occasional importance in aviation pathology, usually related to ingestion of tonic water. One study showed 100 mg of quinine taken in tonic water is sufficient to produce positional abnormalities of the electronystagmograph. Blood levels of quinine of about 0.2 mg.L-1 found at autopsy in pilots who died in aviation accidents in which positional cues seemed to be important suggest that quinine toxicity played a causative role.
Accidents, Aviation↗
A comparison of postmortem coronary atherosclerosis findings in general aviation pilot fatalities.
The autopsy reports of 710 pilots involved in fatal general aviation accidents were received by the FAA for the years 1980-82; they were reviewed to appraise the age-specific prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis among the autopsied group and to compare findings with those of an earlier study. Of the autopsies on pilots killed in aircraft accidents, 69% indicated some degree of coronary atherosclerosis, ranging from minimal to severe. This finding is higher than for a similar group of pilots studied for the years 1975-77. However, only about 2.5% of the 1980-82 study group were found to have severe coronary atherosclerosis, compared with 5% in the previous study. Prevalence of severe coronary atherosclerosis increased with age from 5.8 per 1,000 for ages less than 40 years to 73.9 for age 50 years and above, also reflecting lower age-specific rates for severe coronary atherosclerosis than were found in the previous study.
Accidents, Aviation↗
[A suicide decision as a motive for murder--an airplane as the murder weapon].
It is supposed that some fatal aviation accidents of "cause unknown" especially of light and private airplanes are possibly intended by a suicidal act. However it is difficult to prove this suggestion. A case of a light aircraft accident is reported in which the medicolegal autopsy and the police investigation revealed, unexpected, a simultaneous homicide and suicide caused by a stabbing attack on the pilot. This paper stresses the importance of autopsies of the victims in aircraft accident investigation and discuss the medicolegal and psychopathological aspects of the case.
Accidents, Aviation↗
Role of radiology in the study and identification of casualty victims.
Radiology is assuming an increasingly important role in the investigation of casualty victims. Radiographic screening for foreign bodies, personal effects, dental and surgical artifacts and occult skeletal injury has long been an established technique in forensic medicine. Positive radiographic identification of the victims by comparison with antemortem films and records is a more recent, important development. Large scale radiographic investigations may require improvised facilities posing unaccustomed technical and logistical problems. Radiologic experience gained from aviation accident investigation is found to apply in other casualty situations as well as in individual fatality investigations. Radiologic data may aid determination of the cause of incidents, resulting in improved safety procedures and design, as well as serving humanitarian and forensic functions.
Accidents, Aviation↗
Spatial orientation in aviation: visual contributions.
Misjudgment of spatial orientation is reported to be an important factor in a substantial proportion of aviation accidents. The likelihood of such misjudgment is particularly high when there are conflicting interactions between labyrinthine and visual signals. In a manoeuvering aircraft, visual information is often a crucial factor in the pilot's ability to judge the aircraft's altitude and position with respect to external and terrain features. A body of research evidence supports the following conceptual framework. (1) The human visual system processes a limited number of visual dimensions almost independently of each other (for example, colour, luminance, spatial frequency, orientation, changing size, motion in depth, time to contact). (2) Each of these selective sensitivities shows considerable intersubject variability. (3) Intersubject variability is far from perfectly correlated across the set of selective sensitivities. This paper discusses the relevance of this framework for predicting, first the specific situations in which visual judgments are most likely to occur and, second, which individual pilots are most likely to make the visual misjudgments.
Accidents, Aviation↗
Analysis of injuries among pilots involved in fatal general aviation airplane accidents.
The purpose of this study was to analyze patterns of injuries sustained by pilots involved in fatal general aviation (GA) airplane accidents. Detailed information on the pattern and nature of injuries was retrieved from the Federal Aviation Administration's autopsy database for pilots involved in fatal GA airplane accidents from 1996 to 1999. A review of 559 autopsies revealed that blunt trauma was the primary cause of death in 86.0% (N=481) of the autopsies. The most commonly occurring bony injuries were fracture of the ribs (72.3%), skull (55.1%), facial bones (49.4%), tibia (37.9%) and pelvis (36.0%). Common organ injuries included laceration of the liver (48.1%), lung (37.6%) heart (35.6%), and spleen (30.1%), and hemorrhage of the brain (33.3%) and lung (32.9%). A fractured larynx was observed in 14.7% of the cases, a finding that has not been reported in literature until now. It was observed that individuals who sustained brain hemorrhage were also more likely to have fractures of the facial bones rather than skull fractures.
Accidents, Aviation↗
Disaster victim identification of military aircrew, 1945-2002.
BACKGROUND: Aviation accident fatalities are characterized by substantial tissue disruption and fragmentation, limiting the usefulness of traditional identification methods. This study examines the success of disaster victim identification (DVI) in military aviation accident fatalities in the Australian Defense Force (ADF). METHODS: Accident reports and autopsy records of aircrew fatalities during the period 1945-2002 were examined to identify difficulties experienced during the DVI process or injuries that would prevent identification of remains using non-DNA methods. RESULTS: The ADF had 301 aircraft fatalities sustained in 144 accidents during the period 1945-2002. The autopsy reports for 117 fatalities were reviewed (covering 73.7% of aircrew fatalities from 1960-2002). Of the 117 victims, 38 (32.4%) sustained injuries which were severe enough to prevent identification by traditional (non-DNA) comparative scientific DVI techniques of fingerprint and dental analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the ADF fatalities who could not be positively identified in the past could be identified today through the use of DNA techniques. Successful DNA identification, however, depends on having a reference DNA profile. This paper recommends the establishment of a DNA repository to store reference blood samples to facilitate the identification of ADF aircrew remains without causing additional distress to family members.
Accidents, Aviation↗