Weather Conditions and Aircraft Accidents
Weather conditions influence the incidence of aircraft accidents in a number of ways. Aircraft can become directly impacted by weather when they are struck by lightning in storms, blown off course, incur malfunctions due to the icing up of engine parts and wings, or are bounced about in the air by turbulence. Wind shear and convective hazards can draw a plane off course where it can collide with another aircraft. Hailstorms can damage an aircraft's shell, thus altering its aerodynamic properties, and a direct hit by lightning during an electrical storm can temporarily blind the pilot. Excessive water ingestion can cause "engine flame-out" ("Aviation hazards: Thunderstorms and deep convection," 2006, p. 25). Weather conditions can precipitate aircraft accidents indirectly as well. An airplane that encounters adverse weather often has to travel out of its way to miss flying through a storm, and this can dangerously reduce its fuel level. In addition, adverse weather conditions such as haze can cause problems with visibility or disorientation leading to an accident. Weather conditions can also affect the performance of an aircraft, as when its parts ice up and cease to function. At the very least, adverse weather can be a distraction, and in the air as on land, distraction is often the precursor to an accident.
According to the Nall Report, "Weather-related accidents continue to have the highest probability of fatalities," with 56.5% of weather-related accidents being fatal and 9.5% of single-engine retractable accidents being fatal ("Aviation Weather: The True Story," 2005). The report indicates, "100% in multiengine airplanes resulted in fatal injuries" ("Aviation Weather: The True Story," 2005). The report states, "Attempted VFR flight into IMC [instrument meteorological conditions] continues to be the most deadly weather-related accident cause. 84% of those were...