Meanwhile, the life expectancy of some Alaska bush pilots is increasing thanks to a technological battle against the high accident rate there (2.5 times higher than the lower 48). The Capstone Project — which has fitted aircraft operating in the mountainous, weather-ravaged and isolated area of southeast Alaska known as the YK Delta with GPS, the latest in weather-radar technologies and Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) systems — is credited with a whopping 40-percent reduction in plane crashes over the past three years, according to a report released last week. In fact, for the first time, the accident rate of the area covered by Capstone was below that of the rest of the state. Also, the lower rates are being observed in all classification of accidents, the first time there’s been statistical backing for that type of claim.
…Capstone Begins To Level The Field In Alaska…
Key Takeaways:
- The Capstone Project has significantly reduced the high accident rate among Alaska bush pilots by outfitting aircraft in the YK Delta with advanced technologies like GPS, weather radar, and ADS-B systems.
- Over the past three years, the project is credited with a substantial 40% reduction in plane crashes.
- For the first time, the accident rate in the Capstone-covered area has fallen below that of the rest of Alaska, with lower rates observed across all accident classifications.
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