On publication of Aviation Safety Report in 2016

The Interstate Aviation Committee presents the annual Aviation Safety Report of the Member States of the Agreement on Civil Aviation and Use of Airspace (Agreement) in 2016.

In civil aviation 63 accidents including 28 fatal accidents with 74 fatalities of the contracting states of the Agreement occurred in 2016.

In commercial aviation 28 accidents including 11 fatal accidents with 44 fatalities occurred.

In general aviation 35 accidents including 17 fatal accidents with 30 fatalities occurred.

Therefore, it it should be stated that the year of 2016 has set the appalling record over the past 25 years as for the number of the accidents (63) and the number of the investigations conducted by IAC so as the upward trend of aviation safety rate in commercial aviation was interrupted. However it should be noted that as in the previous two years no passenger air transport heavy aircraft fatal accidents occurred in 2016.

According to preliminary estimates, human error-related accidents amounted to approximately 94% of all accidents in 2016. 

The same factors that had been previously identified as the erroneous and improper crew's actions at piloting, loss of attitude monitoring in meteorological conditions out of VFR resulting in collision with obstacles at low- altitude flight, controlled flight into terrain, proceeding of flight without taking into account the enroute meteorological conditions, insufficient pilots’ training, the performance of flight in the state of alcoholic intoxication, etc. were again among accidents causes.

As for general aviation aircraft without airworthiness certificates or with expired airworthiness certificates continue to be operated. As in previous years, oversight by authorized civil aviation authorities over the continuing airworthiness of registered aircraft and the legitimacy of flight operations conducted by private pilots remains ineffective and inadequate. Statistical data on the number and duration of GA flights is not provided, that complicates the flight safety rate assessment in this aviation segment. 

Based on an analysis of the conslusions and recommendations made during air accident investigations in 2016 and earlier, the Report provides recommendations to the heads of aviation authorities of the States parties to the Agreement aimed at improving flight safety. Most of the 23 recommendations in the Report are repeated, some of them for several years now.

The main recommendation is the need to "Ensure the regular practice of verification of adopted decisions and flight safety measures. Develop a system of mandatory and prompt response to recommendations of Investigation teams, brining these recommendations into specific action plans and monitoring their implementation deadlines."