title: Exploratory spatial analysis of pilot fatality rates in general aviation crashes using geographic information systems.
abstract: Geographic information systems and exploratory spatial analysis were used to describe the geographic characteristics of pilot fatality rates in 1983-1998 general aviation crashes within the continental United States. The authors plotted crash sites on a digital map; rates were computed at regular grid intersections and then interpolated by using geographic information systems. A test for significance was performed by using Monte Carlo simulations. Further analysis compared low-, medium-, and high-rate areas in relation to pilot characteristics, aircraft type, and crash circumstance. Of the 14,051 general aviation crashes studied, 31% were fatal. Seventy-four geographic areas were categorized as having low fatality rates and 53 as having high fatality rates. High-fatality-rate areas tended to be mountainous, such as the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian region, whereas low-rate areas were relatively flat, such as the Great Plains. Further analysis comparing low-, medium-, and high-fatality-rate areas revealed that crashes in high-fatality-rate areas were more likely than crashes in other areas to have occurred under instrument meteorologic conditions and to involve aircraft fire. This study demonstrates that geographic information systems are a valuable tool for injury prevention and aviation safety research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 East Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Jurek G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Grabowski
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Curriero
authors.forename: Susan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000060:Accidents, Aviation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000401:Aircraft; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009026:Mortality; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012449:Safety