Flight Accidents In The 21st Century U S Air Force

Mid-flight noncombat mishaps and blunders occur frequently in the USAF during training and utility flights--sometimes with the loss of life and regularly with the destruction of expensive aircraft. In one extreme case, a $2.2 billion B-2 Spirit bomber crashed soon after takeoff and was destroyed. The events surrounding such accidents are gathered by USAF investigators and a report is published for each case. The author has collected these reports, including some made available following FOI (Freedom of Information) requests to U.S. air bases, and rewritten them in language accessible to the general public. The causes--bird-strikes, joy-riding, unauthorized maneuvers, pilot disorientation, an unseen binoculars-case blocking the plane's joystick, unexpected moisture in an air-pressure gauge--are often surprising and, at times, horrifying.

During World War II, the air over the continental United States was a virtual third front. The little-known statistics are alarming: the Army Air Forces lost more than 4,500 aircraft in combat against Japanese army and naval air forces in the war. During the same time, the AAF lost more than 7,100 aircraft in the United States to accidents in training and transportation. Such accidents claimed the lives of more than 15,530 pilots, crewmembers and ground personnel, and the stories of their deaths are largely forgotten. This work chronicles the 6,350 known fatal AAF aircraft accidents that occurred in the continental United States from January 1941 through December 1945. Each crash summary, based on official records, provides details such as crash location and cause, the people involved and the type and number of aircraft. An aircraft serial number index, a record of AAF aircraft still listed as missing, crash statistics and a directory of AAF stations in the United States are included.

The unique feature of this book, and the tragic accident it documents, is not simply the number of deaths but, rather, the extraordinary loss that occurred to so many American families simultaneously and how important it is that people in Australia and America have ensured that this historic incident is long remembered.

Aviation is an intrinsically safe mode of travel. In 1994, the United States Air force system of Aero Clubs put forth substantial effort to put a program in place (fly Smart) to improve flying safety in its aircraft. This study compares the accident rates of Aero Club aircraft with rates seen in general aviation. A comparison is also made of the years prior to implementation of fly Smart to the three years following implementation. Aero Club records of accidents were available from 1987 through 1997. General aviation mishap statistics are collected by the National Transportation Safety Board and are collected and presented to the public by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in the form of an annual general aviation report. Comparison of these figures show that the Aero Club system had a lower accident rate and fatality rate in all but one study year (1992, Aero Club 10.12 accidents and 2. 38 fatal accidents per 100,000 flying hours; general aviation 8.97 accidents and 1.75 fatal accidents per 100,000 flying hours). The Aero Club accident rate in the period following implementation of fly Smart (1995 - 1997) was lower than before implementation (1987 - 1993, 5.19 versus 1.63, p=0.047), while general aviation rates for the same periods were unchanged (8.29 versus 8.00, p>0.05). No differences were seen in rates of larger vs. mid-size or small clubs. There were no differences in the accident rates of closed vs. open clubs. The Air Force Aero Clubs are certainly more restrictive than general aviation, but the improvement in safety record suggests the tighter regulations are rules you can live with.

During World War II, the air over the continental United States was a virtual third front. The little-known statistics are alarming: the Army Air Forces lost more than 4,500 aircraft in combat against Japanese army and naval air forces in the war. During the same time, the AAF lost more than 7,100 aircraft in the United States to accidents in training and transportation. Such accidents claimed the lives of more than 15,530 pilots, crewmembers and ground personnel, and the stories of their deaths are largely forgotten. This work chronicles the 6,350 known fatal AAF aircraft accidents that occurred in the continental United States from January 1941 through December 1945. Each crash summary, based on official records, provides details such as crash location and cause, the people involved and the type and number of aircraft. An aircraft serial number index, a record of AAF aircraft still listed as missing, crash statistics and a directory of AAF stations in the United States are included.