Avemco Blog

Glass Cockpit Safety

Jonathan "JJ" Greenway, President

March 2012
Now that we're roughly a decade into the advent of glass cockpits in general aviation aircraft, it comes as no surprise to most pilots that the new technology hasn't improved the general aviation safety record. In fact, I can make the argument that the new trend adversely affects GA as a whole. More on that later.

The AOPA Air Safety Institute recently completed their third pass at the safety record of glass panel GA airplanes¹. The first review, released in 2005 was as in-depth as could be, considering there had been so few accidents involving glass panel GA aircraft at the time. Nearly six years later, we've managed to crash a fair number of these newer airplanes, enough anyway to see the trends.

GA airplanes have simply gotten too complicated for no good reason. Slick marketing sold us the bill of goods on much of the new technology, saying that it would make flying easier and safer. Not to sound like an old guy or anything but give me back the days of a VFR equipped single nav-com trainer with a transponder. (Or without one!) In the competitive rush to outdo the competition, avionics manufacturers have incorporated feature after feature into new products that have had negligible effects on the general aviation safety record.

The automobile industry has gone through a similar course with regard to technology. The inclusion of gadgets in new automobiles has reached the point where they impact safety negatively. So much so that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in March held hearings on manufacturer standardization in an effort to reduce distraction to drivers who insist on surfing the web or downloading mp3 music files while traveling at 80 mph on the turnpike². Federal statistics show that 5,474 people were killed in automobiles and about 448,000 were injured in 2009 in crashes in which distracted driving played a role. Drivers who use handheld devices are four times as likely to get into a serious crash, research has shown³.

It's tougher to define the trends working with general aviation statistics since, there are far less data to analyze. But it stands to reason if drivers are distracted by new technology, pilots are subject to the same thing.

Don't get me wrong, the new technology is nice but it raised an eyebrow even on this old rock and roller when I found that I could page through the Garmin G-1000 and tune in Bob Dylan on the XM receiver in-flight. Nice feature, but I'm not certain that it belongs in the cockpit.

From an insurance industry perspective, the increased hull value of even the most primary trainers hurts us all. Increased hull values mean higher premiums for the customer and higher payouts from the insurers following a loss. Let's be honest with ourselves, it doesn't take a $300,000 fully IFR equipped glass cockpit airplane to get a primary student through private pilot certification. But that's what many flight schools are using.

The advent of the light sport aircraft was a bright spot on the horizon when it surfaced in the early 2000s. These low-cost, easy-to-fly machines were going to save the industry, or so we were told. Sadly, with prices of these now rising well in to the mid hundred thousands and panels that resemble airliners, the industry still struggles along, barely able to attain liftoff speed.

Are we at the mercy of misguided marketing departments? Or can GA fly out of the slump and get back up to a safe altitude?