Military Aircraft Safety:
Significant Improvements Since 1975
NSIAD-96-69BR: Published: Feb 1, 1996. Publicly Released: Feb 5, 1996.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed military aircraft accidents involving fatalities or severe aircraft damage, also known as Class A flight mishaps, focusing on: (1) historical trends in Class A mishaps; (2) the causes of such mishaps and how the causes are investigated; and (3) actions taken to avoid Class A mishaps.
GAO found that: (1) Department of Defense (DOD) aviation safety has improved significantly over the last 21 years; (2) between fiscal years (FY) 1975 and 1995, for example, the annual number of Class A mishaps decreased from 309 to 76, while the number of fatalities decreased from 285 to 85; (3) during this period, Class A mishaps per 100,000 flying hours, referred to as the mishap rate, also decreased from about 4.3 to 1.5; (4) the value of Class A losses remained fairly constant over the last 6 years, ranging from a high of about $1.6 billion in FY 1993 to a low of $1.2 billion in FY 1994; (5) although DOD requires that the services report and investigate Class A aviation mishaps, service requirements differ as to who convenes the investigation board and who participates as voting members; (6) for example, until recently only the Army required safety center investigators as voting board members; (7) past GAO and Air Force studies have questioned the independence of the investigators because of their organizational ties to the mishap command; (8) the Air Force has recently directed changes to enhance the independence of its investigations; (9) each of the services have taken steps to reduce aviation mishaps, such as tracking mishap investigation recommendations and disseminating safety information in manuals, newsletters, videos, and messages; (10) recent safety initiatives include risk management and human factor studies; (11) the Army, for example, is developing a series of profiles for predicting whether an aviation training mission is low, medium, or high risk; (12) a subsequent system will provide guidance for assessing operational risks and reducing them to acceptable levels; (13) in FY 1994 and 1995, human error was reported as a contributing cause in 73 percent of the Class A flight mishaps; (14) however, in a 1994 report examining its historical flight mishap data, the Air Force found no direct correlation between operating tempo and safety mishaps; (15) in 1995, the Air Force Blue Ribbon panel reported some evidence connecting pace of operations to aviation safety; and (16) service statisticians, however, told GAO that the relatively low incidence of Class A flight mishaps makes it difficult to draw inferences and identify statistical correlations of variables with mishap rates.
Mar 2, 2021
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COVID-19 Pandemic:
Preliminary Observations on Efforts toward and Factors Affecting the Aviation Industry's RecoveryGAO-21-412T: Published: Mar 2, 2021. Publicly Released: Mar 2, 2021.
Feb 18, 2021
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General Aviation:
Stakeholders Expressed Mixed Views of FAA Policies on Private Pilot Expense SharingGAO-21-285: Published: Feb 18, 2021. Publicly Released: Feb 18, 2021.
Jan 28, 2021
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Unmanned Aircraft Systems:
FAA Could Strengthen Its Implementation of a Drone Traffic Management System by Improving Communication and Measuring PerformanceGAO-21-165: Published: Jan 28, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 28, 2021.
Jan 7, 2021
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Aircraft Noise:
Better Information Sharing Could Improve Responses to Washington, D.C. Area Helicopter Noise ConcernsGAO-21-200: Published: Jan 7, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 7, 2021.
Dec 18, 2020
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Automated Technologies:
DOT Should Take Steps to Ensure Its Workforce Has Skills Needed to Oversee SafetyGAO-21-197: Published: Dec 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2020.
Dec 17, 2020
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Emergency Responder Safety:
States and DOT Are Implementing Actions to Reduce Roadside CrashesGAO-21-166: Published: Dec 17, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 17, 2020.
Nov 24, 2020
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Reagan National Airport:
Information on Effects of Federal Statute Limiting Long-Distance FlightsGAO-21-176: Published: Nov 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 24, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
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Federal-Aid Highways:
States and Local Governments Reported Benefits to Federal Highway Fund Swapping, but Impacts Cannot be Definitively DeterminedGAO-21-88: Published: Oct 20, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Nov 16, 2020
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Aviation Certification:
FAA Needs to Strengthen Its Design Review Process for Small AirplanesGAO-21-85: Published: Nov 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 16, 2020.
Nov 9, 2020
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Aviation Safety:
FAA's Office of Aviation Safety Should Take Additional Actions to Ensure Its Workforce Has Needed SkillsGAO-21-94: Published: Nov 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 9, 2020.
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