Characteristics of Non-Fatal General Aviation Crashes in Australia: Insights from Insurance Data

This study uses data from three aviation insurers to analyze nonfatal general aviation crashes in Australia over an 18-month period. Finding show that crashes during personal flying were the most frequent of all general aviation accidents (37%), particularly during landing and taxi phases of flight. Performance issues related to aircraft control and aircrew decision making were noted in 76% and 38% of landing crashes respectively, and often occurred in the presence of underlying factors related to psychological states and training. These findings also demonstrate that, despite some limitations, insurance data can be useful in supporting meaningful safety analyses.