The High Cost of Insurance

Fatal accidents in twin and turbine aircraft are tragic and costly. And although infrequent, they grab our attention on the nightly news. But far more frequent and financially significant are non-fatal incidents. My unofficial analysis indicates that multiple times each month, a twin or turbine aircraft is substantially damaged before it even gets into the air. For the purposes of this rambling, I have divided the causes into three categories:

Bad Drivers
Probably the biggest piece of the puzzle, bad drivers come in all shapes and sizes.

• The unlit tug operator towing a Citation at Midway airport at night colliding with a pickup truck.
• The startled Chevy Suburban driver impaling the wingtip of a Falcon 50 through his windshield.
• The distracted TBM pilot rear-ending a King Air on a taxiway.
• The driverless Tesla being summoned by its owner, plowing into a Cirrus Vision Jet.

The list could go on for quite a while. As pilots, we don’t seem to be much better on the runway than the freeway. But the financial cost of repairing an aircraft is astronomical. A “dent” in a Citation Mustang wing can exceed $1 million in repair costs, often totaling the aircraft. And while we often get away with distractions while driving our car, a few seconds of inattention on the taxiway can wreak havoc with our checkbook and insurability.

Stupid Pilot Tricks
We are often in a hurry to get to point B.

• The jet blast from a Global Express powering up on the ramp seriously injuring a passenger walking behind the airplane.
• Attempting to take off with the parking brake partially engaged.
• Leaving the cockpit with both engines running and finding your jet running loose on the service center ramp.
• A rushed preflight leaving several loose engine fasteners unnoticed until the cowling departs the aircraft and strikes the tail of the jet during flight.

We need to slow down. Think two steps ahead of the situation. Ask ourselves, “What could go wrong?” As you watch entertaining pilot videos on the internet, think about how you could make your next flight safer.

Weather and Birds
The least controllable aspect of flying as both are “where we find them.”

• Freak tornadoes, like the one in Nashville, Tennessee, destroying the entire contents of a single hangar.
• A Pelican colliding with a Premier jet wing, totaling the airplane.
• A record-breaking snowstorm in the northeast collapsing the roof of a hangar full of biz-jets.

Consider delaying your takeoff for a few seconds when the tower reports birds on the runway. Choose the sturdier hangar on the airport if you have a choice. We are all paying for the costs of our behavior. We need to be more aware and help each other out.

Fly safe.