The 1975 Accident Experience of Civilian Pilots with Static Physical Defects

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The 1975 Accident Experience of Civilian Pilots with Static Physical Defects

J. R. Dille / C. F. Booze

The 1974 aircraft accident experience of civilian pilots with eight selected static physical defects has been examined and reported previously. Three categories--blindness or absence of either eye, deficient color vision with a waiver, and deficient distant vision--had significantly more accidents than were expected on the basis of observed-to-expected ratios. The 1975 accident data have now been examined. Again, the same three groups were found to have significantly more than their expected numbers of accidents. This year the reported recent and total flying times for all airmen with these defects were determined and accident rates were calculated. When the accident experience of airmen with any of these three static defects was compared with the active airman population accident experience per unit of recent and cumulative exposures, the rates for airmen with blindness or absence of an eye were still found to be significantly higher. Rates for airmen with color vision defects and a waiver were somewhat higher but of marginal significance. However, the rates for those with defective distant vision other than blindness or absence of an eye were similar and the difference was not significant. Only one of the FAA accident reports that were reviewed related the accident to the pilot's physical defect.