An Analytical Study of the Effects of Age and Experience on Flight Safety

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are any significant decreases in the safety and effectiveness of pilots by age 60. The data for this study comes from records of general aviation accidents (i.e., for private pilots, commercial pilots, and air transport pilots). This accident data has been acquired from many specialized aviation data banks, these include: NTSB, AOPA, FAA, and the COMSIS Research Corporation. The data were organized into groups according to age of the pilot-in-command (PIC) responsible for the accident. The grouping progresses in five-year increments starting at 20–24, and ending with 55–59. The data were analyzed in terms of different accident statistics (i.e., based upon the number of pilots and the number of hours flown). The results indicate that age and experience both affect safety. The magnitude of these effects and their implications for aviation safety are discussed.