Post-mortem blood alcohol in general aviation pilots.

Blood alcohol concentrations are reviewed from a series of 250 consecutive fatal accidents, involving 259 pilots, for the years 1962 through 1975. BACs were obtained in 150 of 213 fatally injured pilots whose bodies were recovered. Positive BACs were 18% of total estimations. Impairment by alcohol was probably a factor in about 9% of accidents in which valid BACs were obtained. These percentages are not significantly different from lumped U.S. data. Comparison with fatal accidents in other modes of personal transportation shows alcohol plays a part in the following descending order: cars in single-vehicle accidents, all cars, motorcycles, general aviation aircraft.