Safety situation in general and recreational aviation

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Safety of general and recreational aviation 2024

There were six accidents in Finnish general and recreational aviation in 2024, which is slightly below the average of the last ten years (8.4). Unfortunately, one accident resulted in a fatality when a general aviation aircraft crashed after an engine failure after takeoff. Both people on board died.

There were 22 serious incidents reported, slightly higher than the ten-year average of 16.3. Last year, level 2 indicators – which describe the most common causes of accidents – recorded more runway excursions  (External link)and near misses than average  (External link). However, on the positive side, the number of incidents involving loss of control of the aircraft  (External link)remained low.

The number of general and recreational aviation operations, including aerial work, at Finnish airports decreased slightly, by approximately 0.5%, compared to the previous year. However, the decrease was not as significant as in 2023, when the number of operations decreased by approximately 15%.

A large part of general and recreational aviation takes place at uncontrolled aerodromes. Data on this activity is collected from aircraft owners through the annual flight activity declaration. Flight hour statistics for 2023 and previous years are available on Traficom's website  (External link). A graphical summary of the 2023 data can be seen in the spring 2024 safety bulletin  (External link).

This review does not address the situation of hang gliding, paragliding or parachuting. Information related to these is available on the website of the Finnish Aviation Association.

Accidents

In 2024, six accidents occurred in Finnish general and recreational aviation, which is clearly below the average for 2014–2023 (8.4). In terms of the number of accidents, the year went quite well, and in previous years there have also been fewer accidents than average. Unfortunately, last year, as in the three previous years, one of the accidents resulted in a fatality.

Of the six accidents in 2024, five occurred in general aviation and one in recreational aviation. Two of the accidents occurred during landing, which, as in previous years, has been the most typical phase of flight for accidents. In addition, two accidents occurred during take-off, one during the enroute phase, and one while the aircraft was on the apron.

In recreational aviation (ultralight aircraft, gliders) the number of accidents was exceptionally low last year. Over the past ten years, there have been an average of about five accidents per year in recreational aviation, but over the past four years there has been a clear downward trend in the number of accidents. The only accident in recreational aviation this year occurred for an ultralight aircraft, when the pilot had to make an emergency landing due to an engine failure during the flight. During the landing, the aircraft rolled over its nose and was significantly damaged, but the people on board survived without serious injuries.

In general aviation, however, there were five accidents, which was significantly higher than the ten-year average (2.9). One of these accidents resulted in a fatality. General aviation has traditionally had fewer accidents than recreational aviation, but in 2020 and 2024, an exceptionally high number of accidents were reported in general aviation.

The fatal accident is described in more detail in the following section. Of the other general aviation accidents, two involved hard landings, one involved an emergency landing due to engine failure, and one involved an aircraft engine catching fire during start-up.

The flight hour data  (External link)is collected annually from Finnish aircraft owners . Flight hour data for 2024 will be collected in spring 2025. In 2023, the activity of reporting flight hours improved compared to the previous year, which reduced the margin of error in the statistics. According to the reports, approximately 43,000 flight hours were flown in general aviation in 2023 and approximately 18,000 flight hours in recreational aviation.

The preliminary estimate of flight hours in 2024 is based on the previous year's data and airport operations. Based on these, the number of flight hours is estimated to have remained at the previous year's level. Based on this, approximately 11.6 accidents occurred in general aviation and approximately 5.6 accidents occurred in recreational aviation per 100,000 flight hours. The average for the years 2014–2023 was 8 accidents in general aviation and 22.2 accidents occurred in recreational aviation per 100,000 flight hours. Consequently, there were exceptionally few accidents in recreational aviation last year, while the number of accidents in general aviation was clearly high compared to both the longer-term average and the proportional number of flight hours.
 

Fatalities

There was one fatal accident in 2024, in which two people died. The accident occurred in October at Räyskälä Airport, when an SNJ-3 general aviation aircraft crashed after takeoff after the engine failed. Both people on board died. The Finnish Safety Investigation Authority (OTKES) has opened an investigation into the incident L2024-02  (External link).

The aircraft destroyed in the accident was a World War II-era aircraft that had just changed ownership. The aircraft was scheduled to be transferred from Finland to Germany after inspections. The deceased were both German citizens.

The incident has been tentatively classified as a loss of control of the aircraft in the air (LOC-I), but the causal factor will be clarified once the OTKES investigation is completed. LOC-I-type situations  (External link)are a common background factor in fatal accidents. 
On average, 1.5 fatal accidents occur in Finland or to Finnish aircraft per year (average for 2014–2023), so 2024 was slightly below average. On the other hand, an average of 1.7 people die in fatal accidents per year, so last year the number of victims rose slightly above average.

The previous fatal accident occurred in July 2023 at Selänpää Airport. The aircraft, which was performing an aerobatic display, crashed into the ground, killing the pilot. OTKES 's investigation L2023-02 (External link) was completed in June 2024. According to the investigation, the cause of the accident was a flat spin, which was initiated too low. Corrective actions were also initiated at too low an altitude, which led to the aircraft crashing into a forest at a steep angle. This was a CFIT  (External link)(Controlled Flight Into Terrain) type situation, where the crash happened even though the aircraft was under the pilot's control.

Based on the investigation of the incident, OTKES issued two recommendations regarding the organization of display flights and the criteria for issuing a display pilot's certificate of approval.

Although there have been isolated fatal accidents in recent years, the safety situation has improved significantly compared to 2013–2014. In both those years, there were four fatal accidents, resulting in a total of 18 deaths. It is still important to keep in mind that safety improvements do not happen automatically, but require continuous work from all parties involved.

Browse accident statistics starting from 2005 using an interactive and updating report here.   (External link)

List of accidents in 2024 (including foreign aircraft in Finland)

1. May 2024: A general aviation aircraft had towed a glider into the air and returned to land for the next tow. During landing, the aircraft sank surprisingly quickly and the tires hit the ground about 10 meters before the start of the runway, causing one of the landing gear to come off. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway. Wind conditions were a possible contributing factor.
2. May 2024: A general aviation aircraft engine caught fire during start-up attempts. The pilot tried to put out the fire, but the carbon dioxide extinguisher was not enough. The power and fuel supply were cut off and the fire subsided until the fire department could extinguish the fire. The aircraft was severely damaged.
3. June 2024: The nose wheel of an experimental aircraft folded after a hard landing and the aircraft was damaged.
4. August 2024: A general aviation aircraft lost oil pressure in its engine during flight, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in a nearby field. During the landing, the aircraft rolled over its nose, sustaining significant damage.
5. September 2024: An ultralight aircraft made an emergency landing after an engine failure and rolled over on its nose. The occupants escaped without major injuries, but the damage was significant.
6. October 2024: A general aviation aircraft crashed after takeoff, killing 2 people on board. OTKES investigation. The causes will be determined once the investigation is complete.
    

Serious incidents

In 2024, a total of 22 serious incidents occurred in Finnish general and recreational aviation. The number was clearly above the average for 2014–2023 (16.3). Of the incidents, 14 occurred in general aviation and 8 in recreational aviation. In one incident, both general and recreational aviation aircraft were involved.

The types of serious incidents followed the trends of previous years. Hard landings (6), technical failures (5), runway excursions (4) and mid-air near misses (3) were the most common causes of incidents.

In recreational aviation, the number of serious incidents (8) slightly exceeded the average for 2014–2023 (6.6). Half of the incidents occurred during landing, but the spectrum of incidents was wide, including technical failures, abnormal landings and runway excursions.

In general aviation, the number of serious incidents (14) was also above the ten-year average (10.7). Most incidents occurred during landing. Examples included harder than normal landings, landing gear failure or other abnormal runway contact, some of which resulted in runway overruns. The next largest group was various technical failures.

The year was overall similar to previous years in terms of types of serious incidents, but the number of incidents was higher than average.

Based on the current flight hour estimates for 2024, it is estimated that in 2024 there will be approximately 32.6 serious incidents per 100,000 flight hours in general aviation and approximately 44.4 serious incidents per 100,000 flight hours in recreational aviation. The average for 2014–2023 was 26 serious incidents per 100,000 flight hours in general aviation and 32.8 serious incidents per 100,000 flight hours in recreational aviation. In 2024, serious incidents occurred in both general and recreational aviation, also in proportion to traffic volumes, above the average.

Browse statistics on serious incidents starting from 2005 using an interactive and updating report here   (External link)

List of serious incidents 2024 (incl. foreign incidents in Finland)

1. January: Smoke began to enter the cockpit of a general aviation aircraft after takeoff. The pilot landed back at the airport. The smoke was possibly caused by a malfunction in the landing gear.
2. January: The engine temperature of the general aviation training aircraft began to rise during the enroute phase. As a result, it was no longer possible to increase power or maintain altitude, so the pilots decided to make an emergency landing on a nearby beach. The emergency landing was successful.
3. April: A significant change in the engine noise of an ultralight aircraft was observed during the flight. The pilot decided to make an emergency landing before the situation could worsen. Minor damage to the aircraft occurred during the landing.
4. April: A general aviation training aircraft skidded to the left side of the runway during a go-around, but the pilot managed to get back into the air and later landed safely. The landing in tailwind conditions and wind shear were contributing factors.
5. April: A general aviation training aircraft skidded off the runway onto the grass during landing, where it was stopped. A contributing factor was that the landing was "on the shelf", during which the left tire touched the runway and caused the aircraft to change direction to the left and off the runway.
6. May: A glider was coming to land on the runway but had to change to a grassy area because the previous aircraft was still on the runway. The pilot announced the change on the radio frequency, but a van on the ground did not notice the glider and drove in front of it. The pilot was able to avoid the van and make a landing on the grassy area.
7. May: A near miss between two gliders in the final leg. The second glider approaching was clearly faster than the first, and had to take evasive action in the final leg.
8. May: The engine of an ultralight aircraft failed during flight. The pilot made an emergency landing in a field, and at the end of the landing the nose wheel fell into a ditch and folded under the aircraft.
9. May: While the glider pilot was turning into the tailwind at an altitude of approximately 300 meters, the glider suddenly went into a rapid left spin. The pilot was able to make the necessary corrections and right the plane, at the end the altitude was approximately 150 meters. The pilot was able to make a successful landing.
10. May: A general aviation aircraft's alternator belt broke during an enroute flight, causing the radiator water pump to stop and the engine to overheat. The pilot was able to make an idle landing on the runway of a nearby airport.
11. June: A parachute plane's landing failed, with the tail first hitting the runway and the subsequent nose-down landing causing the propeller to hit the runway. Both the tail and propeller sustained minor damage. Contributing factor was turbulent crosswinds.
12. June: A general aviation aircraft's carburetor caught fire during start-up, possibly due to over-enrichment of the mixture. The pilot noticed the fire and continued to start the engine, the fire went out when the engine started.
13. June: A general aviation aircraft piloted by a student pilot on a solo flight skidded off the runway during a touchdown. The pilot was able to apply the brakes, but the wing of the aircraft hit a caravan on the edge of the field. More serious damage was avoided.
14. June: During landing, a general aviation aircraft on a training flight remained "on the shelf" and stalled, causing a hard landing and damage to the aircraft.
15. July: The pilot of an experimental aircraft forgot to lower the retractable nose gear while landing on the runway. The aircraft skidded on its nose for a short distance, coming to a stop on the runway and sustaining minor damage. Contributing factors were a stressful situation with the new aircraft type and gusty wind conditions, which affected concentration. The pilot stated as a preventive measure that due to the speed of the aircraft type in question, the approach briefing could be conducted much earlier in the future.
16. July: A general aviation aircraft lost power during initial climb, the engine went to idle and the throttle position no longer affected the RPM. The aircraft was still close enough to the departure field that the pilot was able to successfully perform an idle landing back to the runway. On the ground, the pilot noticed that the electrical connector on the throttle was loose. The connector was properly installed and operation was normal thereafter.
17. July: A glider was on its final approach when a paraglider unexpectedly flew in front of it. The glider was on a training flight, and the instructor avoided the collision by steering the plane slightly downward. The paragliding activity had been scheduled to take place on the other side of the field, but in this case the glider ended up out of the area.
18. July: A medical helicopter was en route in uncontrolled airspace near Oulu when a small aircraft suddenly flew very close to the rear left of the helicopter, slightly above it. The helicopter pilot made an emergency avoidance maneuver to reduce the risk of collision. According to the pilot's report, the risk would have been reduced if the other aircraft had had a transponder on, which would have been visible in the helicopter's ACAS system. OTKES conducted an investigation into the situation.
19. July: An ultralight aircraft was on a training flight from Kiikala to Nummela. The flight student reported an estimate to the border of the Nummela area on the Nummela frequency. When the ultralight was almost at the border of the area, the crew suddenly noticed another aircraft approaching from the rear right at a higher speed. The other aircraft was a general aviation aircraft, also on a training flight, and the aircraft's instructor said after the flight that he had only noticed the ultralight very close and had made an immediate evasive maneuver. There was a distance of about 10-20 meters between the aircraft. The general aviation aircraft's flight path had been slightly above the ultralight, in a slight downward glide. It is possible that the crew of the general aviation aircraft had not heard the ultralight's traffic announcement because they were listening to the Nummela information at the same time. The crews discussed the situation after the flight, and stated that very vigilant observation of airspace and other traffic in Nummela was the most important thing to prevent similar situations.
20. September: A recreational aircraft (the model was not specified in the report) made a bounce landing and as a result of the recovery maneuver, the aircraft ended up on the side of the runway in a grassy area. The situation was resolved without damage.
21. September: A powered glider was taxiing to the end of the runway for takeoff. During the taxiing, the wind pushed one wing downwards, causing it to hit a runway edge light pole. The pole broke and the plane's wing was fractured.
22. December: A general aviation aircraft landed in Oulu, but after landing the aircraft began to bank sharply to the left and ended up slightly over the edge of the runway onto grass. The pilot was able to power the aircraft back onto the runway. It turned out that the tire on the left main landing gear had burst due to a snow sweeper spike that had apparently come loose from a maintenance vehicle.