PREVIOUS MILITARY PILOTS AND THEIR LATER FATAL CIVIL AVIATION ACCIDENTS

Tanja Laukkala,Antti Sajantila,Eero Pukkala,Heini Huhtala,Alpo Vuorio,Bruce Budowle,Matti Mäntysaari

doi:10.3846/aviation.2021.15660

Abstract

Military pilots undergo rigorous selection compared with civilian professional pilots because of different operational requirements. There are no studies of military pilots’ subsequent civil aviation careers and fatal pilot aviation accidents. This study focuses on Vietnam War (VW) pilots and subsequent fatal aviation accidents in the U.S from 1965 to 2018. In total nine aviation accidents met the inclusion criteria and are described in detail, including the pilots’ previous civil aviation incidents. The VW pilots were healthy, had valid Medicals and continued to fly in demanding pilot positions after their military careers. Although the data are limited, this study suggests that previous military pilots may differ slightly from other pilots in their subsequent civil aviation careers.

Highlights

Military pilots differ from professional civilian pilots due to rigorous selection criteria and unique work-related stressors (Kantor & Bordelon, 1985)
Cases were excluded from our dataset based on the following details: In one accident with a Vietnam War (VW) veteran pilot a passenger died; in one midair collision the other plane crew received minor injuries; in another an airshow collision involved two planes that were painted to resemble VW era military planes, and the pilot veteran status was not provided; one event was excluded as the accident plane was a VW aircraft but pilot veteran status was not provided; and one veteran pilot was too young to have flown in VW
The pilot had a history of flying in Vietnam during the VW, was excluded because no military background was mentioned in the accident report

Summary

Introduction

Military pilots differ from professional civilian pilots due to rigorous selection criteria and unique work-related stressors (Kantor & Bordelon, 1985). A majority of studies on military pilots’ performance are carried out on military pilot applicants or student pilots (Martinussen & Torjussen, 1988; Sicard et al, 2003; Drinkwater & Molesworth, 2010; Maroco & Bártolo-Ribeiro, 2013). After their active-duty career, military pilots often continue flying as professional civilian pilots (Metsker, 2018). A first-class medical is required for pilots who exercise airline transport pilot privileges, and a second-class medical is for those pilots who exercise a commercial pilot privilege

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