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Public attention was focused on this problem in
1966 by S. R. Mohler et al.t It became the topic
of discussion at several meetings attended by
physician pilots. A moderate drop in annual
fatalities was seen possibly as a result of the
safety awareness generated. Recently, however,
little emphasis has been given to this problem
during the physician pilot meetings and the num-
ber of annual fatalities is rising.

Physicians who are pilots have organized into
a national association with local chapters that
meet periodically. These meetings offer an un-
usual opportunity to disseminate aviation safety
education. Additional effort is necessary to in-
sure maximal participation in such meetings by
all physicians who fly and continued emphasis on
elimination of exposure to hazardous conditions
during flight.

100s
w
hd ML
|
60°]
50%)
30%
aw 50% aan
aw
20%
10s
og re po
19641965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970
YEAR
SOURCE: FEDERAL AVIATION
ADMINISTRATION
‘JANUARY 1971.

Ficure 4. Weather as a Primary Factor in Physician
Pilot-in-Command Fatal Aircraft Accidents.

Figure 5.

Fatal Physician Pilot Accident in Southwest U.S.

REFERENCES

1. Mohler, 8. R., S. F. Freud, J. B, Veregge, and E. L.
Umberger. “Physician Flight Accidents.” FAA
Office of Aviation Medicine Report No. AM 66-25,
1966.

2. Wick, R. L., Jr.

to Occupations.”
July 1966.

“The Relation of Aircraft Accidents
The Flying Physician Vol. 10, #3,

8. Aircraft Accident Reports,

Accident Investigation

Branch, Office of Aviation Medicine, Federal Avia-
tion Administration 1964 through 1970.

4, National Transportation Safety Board Press Release
SB71-1, Jan. 11, 1971.



TECHNICAL REPORT STANDARD TITLE PAGE

T. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3, Recipient's Catalog No.
FAA-AM-71-9
4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date
PHYSICIAN PILOT-IN-COMMAND FATAL FLIGHT ACCIDENTS March 1971
1964 THROUGH 1970 6. Performing Organization, Code
7 Lreiveebiet, MD. %. Performing Organization Report No.
S$. R. Mohler, M.D,
| _V, G, Stedman,B, A.
9. Performing Orgonization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No.
Office of Aviation Medicine
Federal Aviation Administration Tin Contract or Grant No.
Bepartment of Transportation
800 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590 13. Type of Report and Period Covered
12. Sponsoring A; N d Add
office “of Aviation Medicine OAM Report

Federal Aviation Administration
Department of Transportation -
800 Independence Avenue, S.W. 14." Sponsoring Agency Code

Washington, D.C. 20590

15. Supplementary Notes

16. Abstract

It was reported in 1966 that the prevalence of fatal aircraft accidents among
physician pilots during 1964 and 1965 was four times that of general aviation
pilots, There was a marked drop in the total number of fatal accidents among
physician pilots during the years 1966, 1967, 1968 but an increase in 1969 and
further increase in 1970. Among all general aviation pilots, there has been
a steady decline in fatal accidents since 1968.

17. Key Words 18, Distribution Statement
Medical Doctors, Physicians, Aircraft, Availability is unlimited. Document may
Fatal, Accident, Pilot, General be released to the National Technical
Aviation Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151,
for sale to the public.
19. Security Classif, (of this report) . Security Classif. (of this page) 21- No, of Pages | 22, Price
Unclassified Unclassified 7 $3.00

Form DOT F 1700.7 (s-69)







TABLE VII. Primary Causal Factors in Physician Pilot-in-Command Fata!
Aircraft Accidents in 1970

Accident No.

Primary Factors

70-1071
70-0341

70-64

70-1217
70-1295

70-1751"

70-1901

70-1974
70-2010
70-3008

70-3013"
70-3211"
70-3374

70-3686

70-3226"

70-3976

70-4271"
70-4336

Severe icing on approach, 10 medications on person.
Engine failure over water-most likely fuel exhaustion

Flew into severe wether, wife anxious to get back
to her three children.

Pilot not current in aircraft or night flight
Noninstrument pilot flew into thunderstorm.

Engine failure on T/C. Fuel exhaustion, Blood alcohol
60mg %.

Chronic myocarditis ond pericarditis. Toxicology showed
phenobarbital 1.9%, No medical certi
No weather or mechanical factors.

VER flight into IFR conditions.
Midoir collision.

Pilot encountered severe down drafts on takeoff.
Tried to correct and stalled out.

VER flight into IFR weather in mountainous terrain.
Flight into 9 box canyon.

Very little experience in float planes, stalled out
on landing.

Landing behind an oir carrier aircraft. caught in
wingtip vortices. Lost control.

Apparent engine failure in mountains.

Night flight into IFR weather. Pilot not
experienced in either.

Crashed during approach in severe weather.

Took off with rear engine inoperative. Stalled out
in left turn,

* Member of Flying Physicians Association


prevalence of fatal accidents among physician
pilots. This drop was sustained through 1968,
but was followed by an increase in 1969 and fur-
ther increase in 1970. Total General Aviation
fatal accidents (Fig. 2) have shown a continuing
decline since 1968. Frequently, the preliminary
accident reports classify paramedical, academic,

NUMBER

196519661967 «196819691970,
YEAR

SOURCE: NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY BOARD LL JANUARY 19:1

Ficure 2. U.S. General Aviation Fatal Accidents.

and other technical personnel as doctors. For
purposes of this study, careful checks were made
to insure that only Medical Doctors were in-
cluded.

The primary factors involved have been
identified. and listed with accident numbers in
Table I to permit additional studies as desired.
Weather appears most frequently as a primary
factor (Fig. 4) with inexperience and mechanical
failure well represented (Fig. 4, Table I
through Table VII).

In many of the weather accidents, the pilots
were aware of the hazardous conditions well in
advance of encountering them. They took the
time to receive weather briefings, but chose to
ignore the information given. The following
weather accidents have been selected from the
1970 reports to illustrate this fact.

Case 70-1217

A. 43-year-old surgeon indicated to the local
fixed base operator that he had to fly to a distant
city on business, but would return that evening
so that he could be on duty at the hospital that.
night. No problems were encountered on the first
leg of the flight. On the return leg, he contacted
the Flight Service Station several times, both

before and after taking off and was advised of
the deteriorating weather conditions. Although
he was not instrument-rated, he continued the
flight. Witnesses reported the aircraft flying
very low in very hard rain with lightning and
thunder just before the crash. It struck a
mountain approximately 100 feet from the top.
Inspection of the crash site indicated that it was
in level flight at the time of impact.

Case YO-1164

The 32-year-old instrument-rated physician
pilot was accompanied by his wife, also a private
pilot. They were returning from a vacation and
were anxious to see their three children.
Weather was checked prior to taking off. The
husband suggested filing for a city enroute and
spending the night there because of the weather
at their destination, but the wife said “No.” Two
other pilots indicated their intention of remain-
ing overnight because of weather. The wife told
them that her husband was instrument-rated and
that they were going to “plow on and see how far
they could get.” They got to about fifty miles of
their destination, before crashing in heavy pre-
cipitation, severe turbulence, lightning and
thunder.

Iv.

Every year, a significant number of physician
pilots are killed in aircraft accidents. Often,
medical associates, paramedical personnel and
members of their families are also killed (Fig. 8).

Summary and Conclusions.

FATALITIES

t

1969 1970

SOURCE: FEUERAL AVIATION
‘ADMINISTRATION
TL JANUARY L971

Fieure 8. Total Fatalities in Physician  Pilot-in-
Command Flight Accidents.


PHYSICIAN PILOT-IN-COMMAND FATAL FLIGHT ACCIDENTS
1964 THROUGH 1970

I. Problem.

In 1966, S. R. Mohler, et al.’ reported that the
prevalence of fatal aircraft accidents among
physician pilots during 1964-65 was four times
that of the general aviation pilot population.
This report generated considerable interest, not
only among physicians and pilots, but in the
news media and general public as well. This
study seeks to compare the numbers of physician-
pilots killed in subsequent years, the total num-
ber of general aviation pilots killed, and identify
the major causal factors involved.

II. Method.

The files of the Accident Investigation Branch
of the Office of Aviation Medicine? were
analyzed. These files contain reports from the
FAA General Aviation District Office Inspectors,
National Transportation Safety Board Investiga-
tors, Aviation Medical Examiners, coroners,
pathologists conducting autopsies, the CAMI
Biochemistry Laboratory, other laboratories con-
ducting toxicology studies, Regional Flight
Surgeons, and the Aeromedical Certification
Branch.

Often it is difficult to isolate the primary
causal factor and assign relative importance to
contributing factors. It is felt that the major
causal factors act synergistically and that many
accidents would not occur if one or more of the
contributing factors were not present. Therefore,
it was decided to indicate the major causal factors
without attempting to quantitate their relative
significance,

In 1966, Robert L. Wick, Jr.? reported some of
the difficulties in arriving at accurate accident
rates for pilots with various occupations. He
pointed out that we do not have accurate figures
as to the number of physicans who fly, how many
hours they fly annually, or number of takeoffs
and landings per physician annually, These

statistics figure prominently in the calculation of
accident rates.

Ill. Results.

Figure 1 shows the number of M.D. pilots
killed annually in aircraft accidents from 1964
through 1970, It does not include physicians

NUMBER Fan
20 - PHYSICIAN
ACCIDENT 18)
REPORT es

ae)

_
15 an
e

10
5h
0 n n n L L L ]
‘64 65) 6667) ‘68 = 6970
YEAR

‘SOURCE: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION 11 JAN. 1971

Ficure 1. Physician (M.D.) Pilot-in-Command Fatal

Aircraft Accidents.

who were aboard crashed aircraft as student
pilots with instructors or as passengers. Fre-
quently, student pilots or passengers are not
identified as to occupation, so it is not possible to
arrive at accuate figures for physicans in these
categories. A drop in number is seen in 1966,
following the report pointing out the high