NTSB Number SR-05/02
NTIS Number PB2005-917002
PDF Document(761 K)

Executive Summary:  Unlike Part 121 and scheduled Part 135 air carriers, general aviation operators and on-demand Part 135 operators (air taxis) are not required to report actual flight activity data to DOT. Instead, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses its annual General Aviation and Air Taxi Activity (GAATA) Survey to query a sample of registered aircraft owners, either through the Internet or by mail. The National Transportation Safety Board and others rely on GAATA Survey activity estimates to calculate accident rates and statistics that form the basis for assessing general aviation safety in the United States. Congress, government agencies, the aviation industry, and other researchers frequently cite accident rates when evaluating the need for safety initiatives. Valid activity data are necessary to compare the accident rates for different aircraft types and types of operations, to establish baseline measures that can be used to identify and track accident trends, and to assess the effectiveness of safety improvement efforts. Because of a critical need for accurate activity measures, and the perception of possible problems with current general aviation activity estimates, the Safety Board analyzed several general aviation exposure measures to determine the relationship of trends over time. The results of that analysis are included in this report. One existing recommendation to the FAA is superseded in this report, two new recommendations are issued, and two existing recommendations are reiterated.