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first time here so bear with me please.

So it looks to me like there are A LOT of small plane crashes. Pretty much every week a couple of people die in small planes, at least.

Is this due to the planes themselves, to the pilots, to the bad maintenance on the planes?

Main reason I ask, I'd like to learn (maybe, just maybe) how to fly, or at least try a class once, but I'm very afraid of those small planes statistics. Are there any websites or similar that explain why so many accidents on those and the reasons?

I asked, can't really start learning with a bigger plane with "real engines" :-)

Gemma
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  • Hi. Welcome to SE Aviation! So it looks to me like there are A LOT - where? Do you have some reference? – Simon Jul 31 '15 at 22:28
  • The most common cause is pilot error – SSumner Jul 31 '15 at 22:32
  • @airlivenet on Twitter is my reference. It seems like it's every week, sometimes more than once a week. And it's usually between 2 and 4 people, so small airplane. – Gemma Jul 31 '15 at 22:34
  • So how many fatal car crashes happened in that same week? Do you hesitate when you get into a car? Are you very afraid of getting into a car? I'm guessing you are US? Where there are about 640 deaths on the road per week. Of course, more miles driven than flown in GA but according to this report, GA flying is only slightly more dangerous than being in a car. Don't even consider it (you don't when you get into a taxi) so go flying, get your lessons, enjoy it! – Simon Jul 31 '15 at 22:36
  • Mmm that is a good point about the fatal car accidents :-). Somehow you always feel in control in the car, like you can manage anything. It's an illusion I know but. But you are right, maybe it's not as dangerous as it seems. I'm not going to even try until the Florida storms are done for the summer anyway, so I have time to think about it. Maybe I will. :-) Thanks!! – Gemma Jul 31 '15 at 22:57
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    @Gemma The same is pretty much true when you're flying an airplane. For that matter, with an airplane, I would argue that maybe you're in even more control, since you don't have to worry nearly as much about being killed by someone else doing something stupid. Not that it never happens, but it's much more rare than with cars, since airborne traffic separation is much greater than road vehicle separation. – reirab Jul 31 '15 at 23:26
  • @reirab that is true :-) – Gemma Aug 01 '15 at 00:55
  • Related question on the perceived danger of small aircraft. And welcome to Aviation.SE – DeltaLima Aug 01 '15 at 18:48
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    @Simon The report you link gives aviation statistics as events per hundred-thousand hours, and motoring statistics as events per hundred-million miles. Geoff Dalgas has done the conversion, assuming an average driving speed of 50mph: flying in a private plane has around 20x the fatality rate of driving. That factor increases if you assume a lower average speed (which seems likely to me, since a heck of a lot of driving is urban and/or traffic jam). I'd call that significantly more dangerous, though still pretty safe. – David Richerby Aug 01 '15 at 19:21

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