General aviation has been around for 114 years when the Wright brothers finally made their historic first flight at Big Kill Devil Hill in North Carolina. Although there have been many major breakthroughs in safety since then, there are still some major problems that remain a safety concern. Among these problems include laser strikes, drones near airports, birds, human errors, lack of appropriate training, and mental health. Although there has been tremendous progress in addressing these problems, many fatalities continue to occur that could have been avoided.
Problems at the Airport
Laser Strikes Laser strikes are when someone on the ground hits a pilot with a laser or other bright light. This normally occurs during takeoff and landing as the plane is closest to the ground and is most vulnerable. Laser strikes are a problem because of the affect it “may have on the flight crew and personnel during landing and departing maneuvers when procedural requirements are critical” (Nakagawara, V.B., Montgomery, R.W., Wood, K.J., 2010). Even after the laser has been turned off or is no longer shining into the cockpit, the plane’s crew could still be suffering from flash blindness, the “temporary visual interference effect that
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Some examples of procedural errors in general aviation involve forgetting to put the aircraft’s landing gear down before landing, forgetting to set the mixture back to full-rich when descending from high altitudes, or forgetting to fill up with gas before a flight. If the pilot follows a checklist before starting the engine, taking off, and landing, many of these procedural errors could have possibly been avoided. No matter the skill or experience of the pilot, checklists save lives by reminding pilots of what all they need to