Safety in Figures - BSV no.55
The table below summarises the accident statistics recorded from 1 January to the end of November 2018, classifying victims by severity and distinguishing purely material-damage accidents. The second table shows accidents involving French-registered microlights that took place abroad with foreign crews.
The monthly statistics are updated according to the latest known information (see the chart below), although not all minor accidents may appear in the current month because they sometimes reach us late.
Number of events by severity and by month (all microlights registered in France)
The statistics worsened slightly towards the end of the year, but by mid-November they remain comparable to last year's.
The typology of accidents gives food for thought: quite a few could probably have been avoided if safety margins had simply been wider. Low-speed stalls at low height recur frequently, sometimes even combined with aggravating factors such as degraded visibility. We also still see accidents, sometimes with serious injuries, that could have been avoided if the emergency ignition cut-off had been handled properly. For example, on some engines, a broken throttle cable can cause a sudden, uncontrolled surge in power. The first safety action when this happens on the ground is simply to switch off the ignition; this action must be learned before starting the engine.
In addition, with the arrival of winter weather, the likelihood of fog and icing increases, so let us stay very vigilant to avoid situations that will force us to make an emergency landing in a field. To that end, let us remember that to handle a landing after an “engine failure”, it is necessary to anticipate it by always keeping an eye on a potential emergency field, and by allowing a speed margin for the final manoeuvres.
Wishing you all happy flying.
Pierre Kolodziej
Flight Safety Committee
Editorial
SGS 2019
As at the end of every year, we must present the accident review and the safety actions planned for the coming year.
First of all, it is important to remember that we are answerable to the Authority for implementing an SMS (Safety Management System)…
Training Corner
There are no new ways of getting killed; we just repeat the same mistakes again and again...
BOB HOOVER
The Analyst's analysis
On 30 April 2017, the pilot of a VL3 microlight, with one passenger, takes off at about 16:00 from the Fréjus microlight airfield, flying together with another VL3.
Aged 69 and with 1 000 flying hours as a private aeroplane pilot, 200 of them on this type, he held no aerobatics rating but had taken part in an introductory session.
The Mechanic's Tutorial
Here is the second episode of season 2 of the "mechanic's tutorials"! In the superb CNFTE workshop in Lectoure in the Gers, Thomas Gadaud and Pierre Pouchès "Peyo" remind us why it is so important to understand how carburettors work. This component is essential for controlling engine speed, provided it is perfectly synchronised with the second one.
What about doing a REV? > video guide
A question about the REV programme? > see our dedicated FAQ
