10 most dangerous jobs... Pilots come third

[JJflyer]

have a look

http://money.cnn.com/2003/10/13/pf/dangerousjobs/index.htm

JJ

[crewrest]

I think it's been rather skewed by the Alaskan bush pilots, poor sods.

Be careful out there

[Longtimer]

Like all stats one has to take a close look to see what it means. IMO the Airline Pilot should be classified as one of the safest jobs in the world.

Another often owner-operated job -- commercial pilot -- comes in third on the list of the country's most dangerous jobs, with 70 fatalities per 100,000 workers.


Most pilot fatalities come from general aviation; bush pilots, air-taxi pilots, and crop-dusters die at a far higher rate than airline pilots. Again, Alaskan workers skew the profession's data; recent National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) stats indicate that they have a fatality rate four times higher than those in the lower 48.

[Amabokoboko]

Of course, Longtimer, the opposite also applies: because of the good safety record of airlines skewing the results downwards, I imagine that the mortatility rate for the run of the mill commercial pilot probably pips the fishermen.

Now that IS scary.

Anyone got similar data for pilots plying their trade in Africa?

[Anti-ice]

Putting it into perspective . . . . .

"Most pilot fatalities come from general aviation; bush pilots, air-taxi pilots, and crop-dusters die at a far higher rate than airline pilots. Again, Alaskan workers skew the profession's data; recent National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) stats indicate that they have a fatality rate four times higher than those in the lower 48.

"Alaskan pilots have a one in eight chance of dying during a 30-year career," says George Conway of NIOSH. "That's huge."

Conway reports that the most common scenario in fatal plane crashes in Alaska is, "controlled flight into terrain." A pilot starts out in good weather then runs into clouds, loses visibility, and flies into a mountainside.

Even though pilots flying small planes have a much higher fatality rate than pilots flying big airline jets, they're not financially compensated for the added danger; non-jet pilots average about $52,000 a year in pay while jetliner pilots make about $92,000."...

[Anti Skid On]

In New Zealand top dressing pilots pay one of the highest rates of ACC (accident insurance paid by all employees), the figures are skewed here - lots of logging helicopters that have 'events' and crop sprayers that have poblems related to releasing their load.

[Makaya]

Well as a cropduster/firefighter pilot flying mostly in Africa, I guess I am on top of the list...
Well may be not, If I where cropdusting in Alaska, it could be worse... :D
Seriously, if I consider the amount of pilot involved in major crashes in my activity, the accident rate is terrible. And the fatality rate awefull. It is actually inacceptable.
But we are working on...

Makaya

[unwiseowl]

Makaya, take care, live long.....

[Makaya]

I am doing my best. Not always easy.

Among the "little troubles" I had, In one year I lost tree engines (one lyco 540 and two P&W 1340).
Lucky boy, I made it back to the field twice.
But I spent few days in the bush the last time...No damage to the plane, but 130Nm to the next facility...At least, I made great pictures.
Nobody said Africa would be easy !

I am glad the year is ending because I have exhausted my luck for 2003.

Happy new year's eve to everybody.

Safe flight for 2004