OlderPilots More Likely to Crash, Study FindsTop of Form

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: March 19,2006

GeorgeWidman/Associated Press

Philip Semischbegan flying about 20 years ago, at age 50. He crashed several years ago butsays he still feels confident about his skills.

At 50, Philip Semisch learned to fly. He took stunt-flying lessons on his60th birthday. When he turned 70, he flew gliders. Another aviation milestonefollowed just a few years later: He crashed.

Skip to nextparagraph Mr. Semisch,a retired Army officer and manufacturing executive from Skippack, Pa.,was alone, flying a small Decathlon plane in 2002. The plane bounced twice ashe tried to land. As he took it back up for another attempt, he failed to cleara wall of trees and crashed. He walked away with bruises and a few stitches.

Mr. Semisch'saccident was one of hundreds in recent years that illustrate a trend within thegeneral aviation industry: a disproportionate number of crashes among olderprivate pilots, despite their confidence.

The Associated Press analyzedfive years of federal pilot licensing documents and aviation crash data, andits findings showed that pilots in older age groups were significantly morelikely to be involved in a crash.

The study began after theFederal Aviation Administration changed its rules in September 2004, making iteasier for older pilots to obtain and keep licenses to fly certain smallerplanes. Although the pilots must still pass regular flight tests, the ruleeases medical restrictions, allowing pilots to fly using only a driver'slicense as proof of good health.

The study found that:

¶ Pilots 60 and olderaccounted for 24 percent of general aviation accidents, though they were just15 percent of licensed pilots.

¶ Pilots 50 and olderwere in 56 percent of general aviation accidents that led to fatalities, butthey make up only 37 percent of licensed pilots.

Experts widely acknowledgethat about three-quarters of aviation accidents are caused by some kind ofpilot error, including slower reactions that can come with age.

Many pilots interviewed forthis article defended older pilots, saying wisdom and experience more than madeup for any age-related forgetfulness or decline in motor skills.

'The statistics don'tsupport planes falling out of the sky,' said Phil Boyer, president of theAircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

There has been only onemajor jetliner accident in the nation in the last three years — at MidwayAirport in Chicago — but crashes of small planes have become nearlyroutine. On an average day in 2005, there were four general aviation accidents,with at least one death.

More than 500 people havedied in general aviation crashes in each of the past three years. Incomparison, more than 30,000 people die each year in car and truck accidents.

Some pilots said that evenunder the old rule, older pilots could find doctors who would perform only arudimentary exam. Fred Austin, 60, of Sedona, Ariz., said one doctor would havehim hop on one foot for a few seconds: 'Then he'd stand a few feet awayand whisper, 'Fred,' to check your hearing. That's all it took.'