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Vol. 3, No. 1 Winter 2026
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Welcome to the latest edition of the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee's (GAJSC) quarterly newsletter, the FlySafe Flyer! This newsletter is intended to keep you apprised of GAJSC-related news and updates, as well as relevant safety information that impacts the general aviation community. The FlySafe Flyer also aims to convey the GAJSC's purpose and collaborative role in advancing aviation safety. We encourage you to read and share this content with your fellow airmen. Please copy the link here to share. For a list of previous newsletters, go to gajsc.org/newsletter.
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Fatal Accident Reduction - Success Does Not Mean We Let Up on the Gas
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A Welcome Message from Sean Elliott, EAA Vice President of Advocacy and Safety and GAJSC Co-Chair
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Some of the key metrics for GAJSC are the fatal accident data for GA, Experimental/Amateur-Built (E/AB), Rotorcraft, and Alaska. While each category is tracked slightly differently, the emphasis on reduction over time is certainly common and emphasized. In 2025, GA overall set its lowest annual fatal accident rate in its history at .61 fatal accidents per 100k hours. While the FAA has not yet finalized those numbers, that trend is encouraging and shows a definitive improvement over time.
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At EAA, we pay close attention to fatal accidents involving experimental aircraft. For FY2025 (and the entire last decade) this is a good news story. While all of GA tracks a rate-based metric for fatal accidents, the experimental metric is based on actual totals over a given year and is broken down by category such as E/AB, Experimental Exhibition, etc. The reduction goal for all experimental aircraft is based on the rolling average of the actual total numbers recorded during the past three years. In FY25, the total number of fatal accidents in experimental aircraft finished at one under the reduction goal. That means we had 42 total fatal accidents with a “not to exceed” goal of 43. Twenty-nine of those fatal accidents occurred in E/AB aircraft, with the rest spread out over the other experimental categories. While this is not our lowest total ever, it is consistent with a strong declining trend, especially when viewed in the context of the 2011 NTSB E/AB accident study.
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While it is tempting to take a victory lap and celebrate the indisputable success of how GA is trending safer, we must continue to keep our collective “foot on the gas” to continue our never-ending quest to improve safety. The reality is that we are still losing 250-plus lives each year in a GA aircraft. In some cases, these are friends, colleagues, family members, and overall members of our community that should not perish in that way. Our work is far from over. In many respects, it will only be more challenging as the low-hanging fruit for improvement dries up and we have to work that much harder to still move the trend downwards.
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We are up to the task at the GAJSC. Our team of dedicated professionals is passionate about improving safety with a proven data-driven system for creating effective Safety Enhancements. If you want to learn more about how the GAJSC works to enhance safety, please visit our website at www.gajsc.org.
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Sean Elliott — GAJSC Co-Chair
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General Aviation Safety Performance Update
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Here's a look at the GA fatal accident rate so far for fiscal year (FY) 2026. As you can see in the chart here, the estimated GA fatal accident rate is at 0.47 accidents per 100,000 flight hours (as of Jan 15, 2026), well below the yearly target of 0.91. You can also see the total GA fatal accidents broken out by month in FY26 here (as of Jan 15, 2026).
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For more details, see the Pareto chart on general aviation fatal accidents, which can be customized to display a specific date range of accident data and sort results by aircraft classification, FAR part, operational category, and accident category.
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Latest FAA Safety Briefing Highlights Role of GAJSC
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The Jan/Feb 2026 issue of FAA Safety Briefing takes a comprehensive look at the GAJSC and delves into the collaborative efforts being made to enhance safety across the GA community. You'll find in-depth articles exploring innovative strategies, safety enhancements, and key initiatives led by the GAJSC to mitigate risks and improve flight safety. See the issue here.
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New Rotorcraft Collective Video on Wire Strikes
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Many pilots mistakenly believe they will have sufficient reaction time if they encounter power lines and other wires. Yet wire strikes have been among the top three causes of fatal helicopter accidents for more than a decade. Chris Hill, a wire-strike survivor and Vertical Aviation International’s senior director of safety, talks about technologies to supplement your obstacle-avoidance efforts, along with wire-strike avoidance techniques in this recent video from the Rotorcraft Collective.
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System Component Failure Non-Powerplant Working Group Update - New Safety Enhancements Announced!
The GAJSC’s System Component Failure - Non-Powerplant Working Group wrapped up work this past June. Led by co-chairs Tom Charpentier (EAA) and Corey Stephens (FAA), the working group has announced a set of 12 new safety enhancements — safety and mitigation strategies that will aim to make a difference in reducing accidents in this category. Stay tuned for more details shortly.
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- SE-61 - Hypoxia and Carbon Monoxide
- SE-62 - Checklists, Procedures, and SOPs
- SE-63 - Flight Training and Operations
- SE-64 - Preflight Inspections and Other Pilot Preparations
- SE-65 - Pilot Mechanic Communication
- SE-66 - Pressure to Complete Flight
- SE-67 - Hazardous Behavior
- SE-68 - Construction and Maintenance of Experimental Aircraft
- SE-69 - Supplemental Type Certificates and Modifications
- SE-70 - Aging Aircraft
- SE-71 - Mis-rigging and Mis-assembly
- SE-73 - SCF-NP Outreach Topics
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Questions about MOSAIC?
The FAA’s Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule responds to evolving aviation and airmen needs, providing for future growth and innovation while maintaining the highest level of safety. Get an overview of how MOSAIC increases the availability of safe, modern, and affordable aircraft for recreational aviation, flight training, and certain aerial work by reviewing the fact sheet.
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Safety Enhancement Spotlight — Stabilized Approach & Landing
The GAJSC analyzes general aviation (GA) safety data to develop intervention strategies to prevent or mitigate problems associated with accident causes, called Safety Enhancements (SE). These SEs may include procedures, training, and equipment installations that, when implemented, may reduce the likelihood of accidents in the future.
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In this issue of FlySafe Flyer, we'd like to introduce SE 10 - Stabilized Approach & Landing.
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Among the objectives with this SE is to promote and emphasize the use of the stabilized approach and landing concepts through training and guidance material changes, as well as review the adequacy of the existing guidance and advisory material on go-arounds. Here are a few good resources that emphasize the importance of this SE:
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Please see the GAJSC SE page here for more information.
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GAJSC Member Profile — SSA
The Soaring Society of America, Inc. (SSA) was formed in 1932 to foster and promote all phases of soaring, both nationally and internationally. The SSA acts as the ‘umbrella’ organization for soaring in the United States by representing the collective interests of its members – individuals, clubs, chapters, and businesses.
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See the SSA website for more information. See here for a list of all GAJSC partners.
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Thanks for reading and #FlySafe!
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Partners in Aviation Safety
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We need your feedback! Please tell us what you think.
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