Miami Herald: Pilot Error Findings Could Hide Other Causes

The Cessna 208 Caravan. The Mitsubishi MU-2. These are two very popular planes with small cargo carriers... and over the past decade, they've also been two of the most accident-prone aircraft in business aviation.

The Caravan has come under fire for problems encountered in icing conditions; the MU-2 has been targeted for investigation by both the NTSB and the FAA for its handling characteristics. With that in mind... it may surprise you to learn that in eight out of 10 fatal accidents involving small cargo carriers -- many of them involving those aircraft -- the pilot has been deemed the top factor in NTSB probable cause reports.

The Miami Herald conducted a months-long investigation into the safety of cargo and charter operations... suggesting that, in doing so, the government often bypasses other factors in an industry the Herald says is dogged by safety woes.

Tom Haueter, a pilot and deputy director with the NTSB's Office of Aviation Safety, defended the board's findings.

"Who is the last person who could have prevented the accident?" asked Haueter. "The vast majority of the time, it's pilot action or inaction that results in the accident."

But other experts disagree... saying pilots in cargo and charter accidents end up shouldering the burden when, after all, they're not around to defend themselves.

What could clear up this controversy? Most experts on both sides of the issue agree flight recorders would be a major help.

Putting black boxes in smaller commercial aircraft might dispel the notion that pilots are to blame for biz-av crashes 80 percent of the time... or they might just prove that pilots in that segment of the industry need better training, or more rest, or... well, you get the picture.

The problem with flight recorders, of course, is their cost. But in the wake of a deadly decade in business aviation, some folks wonder... how much is a human life worth, anyway?

FMI: www.ntsb.gov