Safety of homebuilt aircraft under scrutiny
August 15, 2011, 09:24 am
A recent Chicago Tribune article looked into the dedication it takes to construct a homebuilt aircraft, and the associated risks of doing so. Rob Liebmann, a flight advisor, spoke to the source on the necessity of evaluating the skills of pilots and dealing with amateur builders.
Liebmann spoke about the devotion that's needed to make a homebuilt aircraft, and how that devotion can lead to blindness to potentially fatal mechanical mistakes. According to the source, he knows from experience the obsession that can lead to flawed mechanics. In 1991, Leibmann spent 1,300 hours building a airplane that failed on takeoff.
"In my mind, I'd given birth to it," said Leibmann. "My personal attachment to the airplane was so strong it fogged my judgment, and that's what happens to everybody."
The National Transportation Safety Board recently launched a study investigating the safety of the growing homebuilt aircraft industry. The Experimental Aircraft Association is taking part in the study by surveying its homebuilders.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reports that 248 homebuilt airplanes were involved in crashes in 2009, resulting in 98 deaths. Life insurance for pilots is necessary for all aviators, whether flying commercially-built or home-constructed aircraft.
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