Airplane News: Homebuilt Accidents down, Balloon Crash Due to Gunfire, FAA Nominee, and EPA on 100LL

First up this week is the EAA who says amateur-built fatal accidents are down 28% this year when compared to pervious years. This is down from 39 fatal accidents between Sept. 30th 2021 andSept. 30th 2022 to 28 between Sept. 30th 2022 and Sept. 30th, 2023. EAA Vice President of Advocacy and Safety Sean Elliot said “The activity data is necessary to paint the full picture, but the initial indications are very positive indeed. It shows a continuing trend toward safer operations, even as total hours flown increase. It reminds us that safety is an ongoing journey that always needs the highest attention of our flying community.” Keep being safe out there! Next up this week is a fiery gas balloon crash in Dallas. Two pilots in a gas balloon were competing in the Gordon Bennet Cup, a long distance race from Albuquerque and the goal is to fly the furthest. According to race organizers, the Poland 1 Team was over Dallas when the pilot reported he heard “What sounded like automatic gunfire” and began an emergency descent to avoid getting shot. During the emergency descent, the balloon hit a high-voltage power line causing an explosion. Both pilots were transported to the hospital with no word on their current conditions. According to officials at the Balloon Fiesta, “Both are experienced gas balloon pilots who have logged significant time in gas balloons. Our thoughts are with the gentlemen, their families and friends for a full and complete recovery.” We’ll keep you updated if we see more. Next up this week is Michael Whitaker, the FAA Admin Nominee. Support from he Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation unanimously agreed that he’s the right man for the job. While we don’t normally like to talk politics, both major parties had good things to say about Whitaker, suggesting that a confirmation hearing may go more smoothly than the last. Whitaker said, “I would view my role as administrator, as chief recruitment officer, certainly for FAA, but also for the industry.” It’s been over a year and a half since we had a senate confirmed administrator, we’ll keep you updated if we see anything more! Last up this week is a big one, the EPA has released its findings on 100LL. We’ve seen a large push over the last year for the elimination of 100LL, with certain airports and states banning or attempting to ban its use. The EPA report reinforced this sentiment with the report stating “The science is clear: exposure to lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects in children,” The EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions) group said during a briefing following the findings that they and the FAA are committed to ensuring the availability of 100LL until a safe and suitable replacement has been found. The FAA stated “The EPA can find that a component causes harm. The FAA will define the standards.” And described the timeline going forwards as a cooperative effort between the EPA and FAA. We’ll continue to follow this story and update you if anything changes! That’s it, have a great weekend, and we’ll see you next week! https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/homebuilt-fatal-accident-rate-drops-28-percent https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/gunfire-preceded-gas-balloon-crash https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/biden-nominee-for-faa-administrator-notches-bipartisan-senate-support/ https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-determines-lead-emissions-aircraft-engines-cause-or-contribute-air-pollution https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/epa-releases-endangerment-finding-on-100ll-eagle-responds