"Unfit for Flight" Part I

A few weeks ago, USA Today and its syndicates ran a story entitled "Unfit for Flight," the first of three articles criticizing general aviation's safety record over the last five decades.  It was pretty scathing - the long form is entitled "Safety last: Lies and coverups mask roots of small-plane carnage." This first story is divided into six subsections with objective, non-sensational headings like "Post-crash fires threaten helicopter passengers: IF IT'S CHEAPER TO LET YOU DIE THAN FIX IT, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE."

Predictably, general aviation advocates have lashed back in force, saying the article mischaracterizes the industry and ignores a vastly improved safety record over the same period.  They say the report unfairly "paints GA aircraft as death traps, pilots as amateur, and aircraft manufacturers as villains, and pits pilots against manufacturers" while selectively ignoring information running counter to the shock value of the story.

So...who do you believe?  Is general aviation dangerous?  Has its safety improved?  Is anybody here telling the truth?

Maybe.

I listened to a radio story a while back about the relationship between a prisoner in jail and his corrections officer.  The officer had ordered the prisoner to pick up dandelions as a disciplinary action.  It's worth a listen, but here's the excerpt "Unfit for Flight" brought to mind: *1

Lt. Cecil Dooley

OK. So you're still upset over the dandelion deal?

Antwaun Wells

Yes, I really am. That really actually frustrated me.

Lt. Cecil Dooley

If you wouldn't have bucked up against that officer that day--

Antwaun Wells

But see, that's what I'm saying. You never came and asked me exactly what happened.

Lt. Cecil Dooley

Don't need to.

Antwaun Wells

Exactly. You took your officer's word and you left it at that. It's always three sides to each story. My side, his side, and the truth.  You left two sides out and you went off of what your officer said. You never came to me as a man and asked me. You know what I'm saying?

The amalgamation of this article and its backlash are one side and another, and neither seems to be particularly concerned about objectively portraying the truth.  As a card-carrying member myself, the most interesting reading has been the comments from other AOPA members on our association's own PR.

"Seems this guy had an idea for ["Unfit for Flight"] and a direction he wanted to go with it ..... evidence to the contrary be damned. Imagine if every car on the road was required to pass an annual inspection, every driver to be proved medically fit, any modifications made to that factory built car required an STC and driver needing to prove their driving skills every 2 years minimum." 

"The AOPA response reads like it was written by a lobbyist for aircraft manufacturers instead of a group supporting owners and pilots ... Does the NTSB’s reliance on manufacturer reps and exclusion of pilot reps makes sense? Since NTSB conclusions are not admissible in court, what is wrong with allowing a pilot representative to participate in the investigation? What are the manufacturers afraid of?"

"I find it hard to believe the timing of this piece is not somehow connected to the pressure the FAA is feeling regarding the third-class medical. I doubt a sudden ostensible expose trying to paint GA as extremely dangerous appearing now, despite the recent dramatic decline in incidents that it fails to even mention, is a coincidence."

I called this post "Part I" because I imagine I'll be coming back to debunk some of the mischaracterizations and misinformation from both sides.  For my part, I'll call them out on this: block-quoting legalese to add shock value to general journalism is inaccurate, unethical, and contrary to USA Today's mission "to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation."  Shame on the author and editor.  On the other hand, the article does bring up some legal questions that have piqued my curiosity.  Stay tuned.

In the end, we all need to do our own reading and come to our own conclusions.  I'll keep trying to help you wade through the muck.

--

*1 The irony that I'm excerpting a long piece in my story about an article that selectively picked and chose information is not lost on me.  The whole thing really is worth a listen, and I'll even give you a teaser: the cop looks like the bad guy now, but in the end the prisoner almost sees the situation his way.