(Snowbird) writes:

However, other things being equal, I don't think there can be any
doubt that extra equipment adds to safety. I personally would not
care to argue that a SE plane flown by a proficient pilot is as safe
or safer than a ME plane flown by a proficient pilot -- how can it
be, when the extra engine/alternator/vacuum pump provide levels of
redundancy and additional options after a failure which most SE
planes lack.

Do you know where to find stats showing the differences in accident
rates between single-pilot+single-engine IFR and
single-pilot+multi-engine IFR?

In theory, it sounds like your statement should be right, but then, in
theory, spin training should reduce the stall/spin rate (which it
didn't, in Canada), and airbags should bring down the fatality rates
in car accidents. We have to look at the actual results to see what
works.

I'd be willing to bet money that single-pilot/multi-pilot is a much
more sigificant risk determinant than single-engine/multi-engine; if
you throw in a dispatcher and operations manual, even more so.


All the best,


David