title: DWI convictions linked to a higher risk of alcohol-related aircraft accidents.
abstract: This paper assesses whether persons convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) are at increased risk of alcohol-related general aviation accidents. Past research has shown a clear link between DWI convictions and pilot-error accidents in commercial aviation. However, no study in the literature has addressed whether DWI convictions are associated with an increased risk of alcohol-related aircraft accidents. To evaluate a hypothesis, a total of 308912 pilot records over a 10-year period were analyzed using logistic regression. After potentially confounding variables were controlled, DWI convictions were found to be associated with alcohol-related aviation accidents. Pilots with DWI convictions were about 3.5 times more likely than pilots without convictions to have alcohol-related general aviation accidents. Actual or potential applications of this research include providing policy makers with data-driven information that is useful in improving decisions related to the medical certification of pilots.
authors.affiliation: Operations Management and Information Systems Department, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2854, USA. kmcfadden@niu.edu
authors.forename: Kathleen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: McFadden
mesh_terms: D000060:Accidents, Aviation / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015984:Causality; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011640:Public Policy; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States