Analysis of Weather-Related Accident and Incident Data Associated with Section 14 CFR Part 91 Operations

Abstract

Onboard weather equipment has gained popularity in recent years, and various types of equipment have been introduced into the cockpit. Despite their effectiveness, they do not always handle all weather-related events, such as high winds, turbulence, and wind shear. This paper studied the mortality linked to flying phases and weather events. The data for the analysis came from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) databases. The weather conditions associated with general aviation-related accidents and incidents were investigated to better understand the specific factors that were most frequently discovered for various weather-related events. The two databases yielded 30,877 accident/incident records. This study reviewed 17,325 accidents and incidents from the NTSB database under 14 CFR Part 91 General Operations and Flight Rules to identify which ones were caused by weather. There were 1,382 weather-related accidents and incidents throughout this investigation. The phases of flight with the highest deaths were maneuvering and en route (28 %). Of the 30,877 total accident/incident records, 13,552 reports were within the ASRS database. Three hundred fifty-eight were weather-related. En route (52 %) was the leading phase of flight with the most severe weather-related accidents/incidents.