NAAA eNewsletter - 02/11/2021

The results from the 2019 FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) have been released. Ag aviators flew a total of 873,552 hours in 2019, down slightly from 2018 during which ag aviation registered 902,885 flight hours. A total of 3,120 ag aircraft were used in 2019, which was again a slight decline from the 3,335 ag aircraft used in 2018. The average hours flown per aircraft, however, increased from 271 hours per aircraft in 2018 to 280 hours per aircraft in 2019.

There were 60 ag aviation accidents, including six fatal accidents, in 2019. The overall ag aviation accident rate in 2019 was 6.87 accidents per 100,000 ag hours flown. The 2019 fatal ag aviation accident rate was 0.69 fatal ag aviation accidents per 100,000 flown. The 2019 accident rate for the remainder of general aviation (excluding part 135) was lower than ag aviation’s rate at 5.43 accidents per 100,000 hours flown. General aviation’s 2019 fatal accident rate was 1.02 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours flown, which is higher than ag aviation’s fatal accident rate.

The PAASS Program continues to play a significant role in reducing ag aviation accidents. The average ag aviation accident rate in the six-year period before PAASS began was 9.64 accidents per 100,000 hours flown. That rate has dropped to an average of 7.2 accidents per 100,000 hours flown, a 25.3% reduction, during the first 20 years of the PAASS Program, 1999 to 2019. The average accident rate from 1999 to 2010 was 7.56 accidents per 100,000 hours flown, a 21.6% reduction from pre-PAASS rates. For the period of 2012 to 2019 (there was no GA survey data for 2011), the average accident rate was 6.67 accidents per 100,000 hours flown. This is a 30.8% reduction in ag aviation accidents compared to pre-PAASS accident rates. This proves that not only is PAASS working to reduce ag aviation accidents, but that it continues to improve on accident reduction as it progresses. As an additional note, not all ag pilots attend the PAASS Program annually. Of the approximately 3,400 ag pilots in the U.S. only 1,593 attended the 2019-2020 PAASS Program.

In 2019 fixed-wing aircraft represented 78.3% of the ag aircraft used and the other 21.7% were rotor-wing aircraft. The total hours flown by aircraft type showed a different percentage breakdown, with fixed-wing aircraft accounting for 82.5% of the ag aviation hours flown and rotor-wing aircraft accounting for 17.5% of ag aviation hours. For engine type, including both fixed and rotor-wing aircraft, piston engines were used in 28.3% of ag aircraft in 2019 and represented 17.5% of the total ag aviation hours flown. Turbine engines were used in 71.7% of ag aircraft and accounted for 82.5% of the 2019 ag aviation flight hours.

The invitation to participate in the 2020 GA survey will be coming out soon. The GA Survey is the only source of information on the general aviation fleet, the number of hours flown and the ways people use general aviation aircraft. Please help our industry and aviation in general by providing accurate information to the FAA when it comes time to participate in the 2020 GA Survey.