EAA, hoping to help address general aviation’s most pressing safety issues, is rolling out a new Founder’s Innovation Prize competition designed to spur new safety technology and award up to $25,000 for the winning selection. Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety, and EAA Safety Committee chairman Charlie Precourt announced what is to become an annual competition during AirVenture in Oshkosh, saying the idea was born out of a desire to curb the fatal accident rate. 

The number of general aviation fatal accidents has been stubbornly stable over recent decades with LOC responsible for more than 40 percent them.  Elliott noted that the NTSB has placed LOC on its “Most Wanted” list of outstanding safety issues.

Precourt added that the commercial and military segments faced their own issues with fatal accidents until crew resource management, training and safety technology helped directly improve safety. “But they failed to spill over to general aviation,” he added.

For experimental aircraft, EAA has established a goal of reducing LOC accidents by 25 percent over the next five years and 50 percent over the next 10 years, Elliott said, adding, “We’re serious about this.”

 The competition is intended to be a “low cost” means of producing new safety ideas. While LOC is the focus this year, future competitions could have other safety focuses. 

“This is about bringing together the best thinking among all our members to improve safety for all of us,” Elliott said.

EAA will begin accepting applications October 1 and the top five entrants will provide a presentation at the 2016 AirVenture before a panel of judges that will include Burt Rutan. EAA will award a $25,000 cash prize to the winner, $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place. 

But with EAA as the forum for the presentation, a winning idea will have a natural marketing springboard for commercialization.