PEARSON & PEARSON, L.L.P.

Most aviation accidents involve general aviation (GA) aircraft; however, GA fatalities and fatality rates have decreased over the last quarter century. In 1975, general aviation experienced 1,252 fatalities—over twice as many as the 592 reported in 2000 (preliminary data). Moreover, the fatality rate (expressed as fatalities per 100,000 hours flown) declined from 4.35 to 1.92 over the same period.

The major causes of fatal general aviation accidents are weather, pilot loss of control or other maneuvering errors made during flight, and accidents on approach to the airport. In fact, 32 percent of the GA accidents from 1983 to 1994 occurred in weather conditions requiring pilots to have instrument ratings. Furthermore, the number of fatalities also varies a great deal by month, with fewer fatalities generally occurring in the winter months because of fewer flights.

Another area of concern is the growing number of runway incursions involving GA aircraft. In 1999, GA pilot error caused 139 (76 percent) of the 183 runway incursions.

Changes in flight hours can also affect accident rates. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimated that GA flight hours increased to about 36 million hours by 2007—nearly 19 percent higher than 1999. Although general aviation accidents and fatalities have been trending downward for 25 years, aviation experts believe these numbers will rise over the next decade with the projected increase in flight hours. Because of the potential safety implications associated with rapid growth in both commercial and GA flight hours, FAA initiated the “Safer Skies” program in 1998 with the goal of reducing aviation accident rates. FAA’s goal for GA was to reduce the number of fatal accidents to 350 by 2007—a 20 percent reduction from the 1996–1998 baseline.

About 50,000 commercial vessels carrying freight and passengers call at U.S. ports every year. In 2000, there were almost 7,000 verified U.S. and foreign vessel incidents¹ in U.S. waters. Over the last six years, the number of commercial vessel incidents in U.S. waters has declined. Approximately 90 percent of these incidents occurred among 10 vessel types, and this concentration has been increasing since 1997.

Towboats and tugboats have ranked as the number one vessel type involved in incidents since 1994. Prior to 1994, fishing vessels ranked number one; they now rank second. However, the number of incidents involving both of these vessel types has been declining in recent years. Towboats and tugboats primarily push and pull barges on U.S. inland waterways and provide tug assist services in ports and along coastal areas. Towboats and tugboats, which can handle as many as 35 barges at a time, have limited maneuverability, especially when the crew is involved in maneuvering barges. People falling overboard account for the majority of the fatalities in the inland towing industry.

A study of U.S. maritime incident data revealed that in 2000 the highest proportion (42 percent) of all maritime fatalities occurred among commercial fishing vessels. The next highest proportion of fatalities were among towboats and barges (11 percent), freight ships (10 percent), and passenger vessels (10 percent). The U.S. Coast Guard, which estimates that there are between 100,000 to 120,000 vessels in the U.S. commercial fishing fleet, believes the industry to be one of the most hazardous in the nation. The number of fishing vessel worker fatalities appears to be climbing after a drop in 1997. This may be due to increased economic pressure and competition in the commercial fishing industry, which encourages risk taking.

The number of recreational boats involved in commercial vessel incidents has been climbing since 1996. The safety of these boaters can be dependent on their ability to recognize commercial vessels, particularly tugboats and towboats, and accurately assess their movements.