Curbs urged on daredevil pilots

Curbs urged on daredevil pilots

Daredevil pilots could face tough new curbs after figures released by the Civil Aviation Authority showed human error was the main cause of fatal crashes. Ill-judged "low-altitude aerobatics" were responsible for nearly one in five of light aircraft fatal accidents from 1985-94, the CAA said yesterday.

The authority is recommending that private pilot licence-holders should be banned from performing solo aerobatics until they hold a special aerobatic rating.

Pilots would also have to have a proficiency check with an authorised flying instructor every two years and trainees would have to attend special training.

The research also showed that 20 per cent of accidents were caused by poor navigation and another one in five crashes was due to bad weather. There were 166 fatal accidents involving light aircraft and helicopters between 1985 and 1994, with 234 people killed in planes and 46 in helicopters.