Tag Archives: homebuilt

EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS REMAIN BELOW FAA DECADE-LONG CHALLENGE GOAL

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Uptick in aircraft accidents in past year a reminder that continual safety focus is essential

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (November 22, 2019) — While fatal aircraft accident totals in amateur-built aircraft remain at historic lows, a slight increase in the total for the last 12-month reporting period shows the continuing necessity for dedicated educational efforts to push the total even lower, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association.

The Federal Aviation Administration reports that for the 12-month period from October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019, fatal accident totals for the experimental category overall, including amateur-built aircraft, racing aircraft, those used for exhibit only, research-and-development, and some types of light-sport aircraft, rose to 52 – five above the FAA’s “not to exceed” goal of 47 for the period. Of that total, 39 fatal accidents were in amateur-built aircraft, an increase of four from the previous reporting period.

FAA measures accident totals on an October-through-September annual basis to coincide with the federal government’s fiscal year. In addition, the National Transportation Safety Board earlier this month noted that fatal accidents in all categories of general aviation increased in calendar year 2018 after several years of decline.

“What this increase tells us is that enhancing safety is not simply a target number to be reached, but a continual effort to build on the positive foundation we have already established,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety. “We are pleased that the accident totals remain below the challenge goal FAA issued to us in 2010, when the agency asked us to reduce the accident rate by 10 percent over the ensuing decade. It is not enough to simply reach a number, however; we must keep a steady focus on making improvements, especially as the number of general aviation flight hours have increased over the past several years.”

Elliott noted that the overall fatal accident numbers for experimental category aircraft remain much lower than other recreational pursuits, such as boating, skiing and snowboarding, and driving all-terrain vehicles.

EAA has worked closely with the FAA and NTSB on recommendations to reduce fatal accidents, including through participation in the FAA General Aviation Joint Steering Committee that EAA has co-chaired for the past three years. Efforts have also included more than 2,500 copies of the one-year old EAA Flight Test Manual now in the hands of amateur-built aircraft owners and the increasing use of an additional safety pilot during initial flight testing in amateur-built aircraft.

“With already very small numbers involved, a few additional accidents can create a percentage-rate anomaly, so it’s important to focus on driving the overall accident numbers lower,” Elliott said. “We must focus on training, situational awareness, and good pilot skills to complement the ever-improving technology that is part of today’s aircraft cockpits.”

About EAA

EAA embodies The Spirit of Aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 230,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAA.

Missing Logbooks?

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Missing Logbooks.

Should you even consider buying an aircraft that is missing logbooks?

Every now and then you run into a situation where the aircraft logbooks are missing, or have been lost and reconstructed.  Should that stop you from buying the aircraft?

Well, maybe.  Just because the logs are gone doesn’t mean it is a bad deal.  Try to substantiate the aircraft and engine hours (along with compliance with Airworthiness Directives (AD’s) and service bulletins) through the use of past maintenance records (invoices, shop tickets, etc.)  If it doesn’t have any records, all the hours, overhaul estimates and repairs, are a guess.  With past work orders and shop tickets you can attempt to rebuild the records.  This would at least provide a reasonable base of hours to start from.  It also depends on the use of the aircraft.  Some commercial operations require that the hours and the TBO requirements be validated in the logs or maintenance records or the part cannot be used.  If you don’t have a record of those, the use may require the overhaul of that component.  For most general aviation owners, the logbooks for the engine will probably be more valuable than the airframe.  The airframe, like the engine, can have critical AD’s that need to be monitored.  Most pilots worry more about the engine condition than the airframe.  Additionally, it would be worthwhile to do a search of the FAA records for any Major Repair or Alteration reports (Form 337).

This also brings up another question, should you pay less for an aircraft without logbooks?

As a personal buyer for a non-commercial use, the logbooks still have a value, although not as much as a commercial operator, but the price should still reflect the incomplete or missing logs.  How much money are the logs worth?  The guideline for most single engines aircraft logs is somewhere around $5,000.  Light twins are worth $5,000 to $10,000.  Establishing a price hinges on what information is available.  If the work orders and records are there, and hours can be substantiated, the logs are less critical.  If the missing logs are from years ago, but the aircraft has been maintained, overhauled and recorded since the time of loss, it would be less of a concern.  Logbooks have also been known to show up after the purchase of an aircraft.  The holders of the logbooks might have a reason for keeping the logs from the seller.  In those cases of “re-appearing logs”, the holder usually wants to be paid for the logs.  In some cases it might be worth the cost.

missing logbooks

EAA: GA safety must be considered in UAS airspace integration

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GA safety

EAA MAINTAINS IMPORTANCE OF GENERAL AVIATION AND SAFETY IN COMMENTS TO FAA ON AMAZON PETITION

Retailer seeking regulation exemption to begin unmanned drone deliveries

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (September 3, 2019) — GA Safety for manned aircraft, not commercial expediency, must be the priority for federal air regulators as they consider an exemption application by Amazon regarding package deliveries by unmanned aerial systems (UAS), noted the Experimental Aircraft Association in formal comments to the Federal Aviation Administration.

EAA made the comments in response to Amazon’s petition to the FAA that requested relief from certain rules in order to conduct deliveries by UAS, commonly known as drones. The exemption would allow Amazon additional freedom to operate below 400 feet above ground level (AGL) without the line-of-sight observation requirements for UAS operations.

“There is an asymmetrical challenge to safety as UAS flights are integrated into the national airspace, as the priority must be preventing hazards to people in the event of a collision over threats to unmanned machinery,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety, “EAA is not opposed to integrating unmanned systems into the airspace, as long as they observe appropriate safety protocols and do not lead to additional regulations and mandated equipment for manned aircraft. In addition, manned aircraft must have the right-of-way in all circumstances.”

In addition to reaffirming EAA’s long-standing position on UAS integration, the organization’s comments give specific examples of various types of flying that takes place on a regular basis below 400 feet AGL, where Amazon intends to operate. Those operations include ultralight vehicles, private airports and helipads, emergency medical flight operations, backcountry flying, seaplanes, and flights over open water or sparsely populated areas. This affirms the need for extremely reliable sense-and-avoid technology aboard unmanned systems that can detect any and all manned aircraft.

“While we are pleased that Amazon stated in its petition that it must demonstrate an equivalent level of safety to ‘see-and-avoid’ principles of manned aircraft, we urge the FAA review and confirm Amazon’s risk assumptions are accurate and its redundancy procedures are as vigorous as those for manned aircraft,” Elliott said. “It is the responsibility of every entity using the airspace to maintain the equivalent safety standards as we explore the opportunities and benefits of this new technology. The stakes are too high for any alternative to be acceptable.”

About EAA

EAA embodies The Spirit of Aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 225,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAA.