NTSB -- NTSB UNDERTAKES COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT (E-AB) AIRCRAFT SAFETY

************************************************************

NTSB PRESS RELEASE

************************************************************

National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2011

************************************************************

NTSB UNDERTAKES COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-

BUILT (E-AB) AIRCRAFT SAFETY

Seeks input from E-AB pilots and builders

************************************************************

WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board has

launched a study of accidents involving E-AB (sometimes

called homebuilt) aircraft in order to evaluate the safety

of this growing and innovative segment of general aviation.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will support the

project by hosting a web-based survey for E-AB owners of the

aircraft; their survey findings will be shared with the

NTSB.

“Going all the way back to the Wright brothers, amateur

aircraft builders have played a crucial and inspirational

role in leading the way towards greater achievements in

manned flight,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “We

are pleased to be working with EAA towards the shared goal

of improving safety in this particularly innovative sector

of general aviation.”

Of the approximately 224,000 general aviation (GA) aircraft

in the U.S., about 33,000 of them are classified as E-AB.

This includes a wide variety of aircraft, which can be built

from a prefabricated kit, existing plans, or a builder’s

unique design. Unfortunately, this group of aircraft has,

for several years, experienced accident rates greater than

those of other comparable segments of GA. The NTSB and EAA

are collaborating to identify how to improve that record.

The study will look at a range of issue areas, including

builder assistance programs; transition training for pilot-

builders of E-ABs; flight test and certification

requirements; maintenance of E-AB aircraft; and the

performance and failures of systems, structures, and power

plants.

“Earlier studies have looked at isolated E-AB safety issues,

but this is the first study to comprehensively examine both

the building and piloting of these unique aircraft,” said

Joseph M. Kolly, Director of the NTSB Office of Research and

Engineering. “And the direct input from E-AB owners and

others involved in the design and day-to-day operations of

these aircraft will be of enormous value in understanding

all of the aspects that play a role in the safety of

experimental flight operations.”

The EAA will be collecting survey data this summer.

Operators, builders, and owners of E-AB aircraft who are

interested in participating in the survey should go to

www.EAA.org/AB-Survey.

The completed safety study is expected to be published by

the fall of 2012.

###

NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson

(202) 314-6100

peter.knudson@xxxxxxxx

************************************************************

This message is delivered to you as a free service from the

National Transportation Safety Board.

You may unsubscribe at any time at

http://www.ntsb.gov/registration/registration.htm

An archive of press releases is available at

http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press_releases.html

Current job opportunities with the NTSB are listed at

http://www.ntsb.gov/about/employment.html

For questions/problems, contact pubinq@xxxxxxxx