Control pattern injuries in fatal fixed-wing general aviation accidents.

BACKGROUND

In aviation accident investigations, control pattern injuries (CPIs) have been useful for accident reconstruction and for determining who was in control of the aircraft at the time of impact. Recently, CPIs have been considered nonspecific. This study compares CPIs suffered by pilots and passengers in fatal fixed-wing general aviation (GA) accidents.

METHODS

Accident data were collected from the Federal Aviation Administration's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (FAA-CAMI) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident reports for the year 2010. Pilot and passenger data were analyzed by comparing the number, type, and location of CPIs.

RESULTS

Of 22 types of CPIs, 2 were found to be individually statistically significant, but neither was significant when corrected for multiple comparisons. When comparing solo pilots to all passengers, fractures of the right metatarsals occurred more frequently in solo pilots (9.3%) than in all passengers (1.69%) and fractures of the distal radius and ulna occurred less frequently for solo pilots (11.36%) than in all passengers (22.41%).

CONCLUSION

Proportional differences appear to exist when comparing specific CPIs between pilots and passengers. Control pattern injuries are an important part of accident investigation and may be helpful in determining the pilot in control at the time of impact.