USA Today reported, “In nearly every serious regional airline accident during the past 10 years, at least one of the pilots had failed tests of his or her skills multiple times, according to an analysis of federal accident records.” In contrast, according to review of NTSB accident reports that were reviewed by USA Today, “Pilots on major airlines and large cargo haulers had failed the tests more than once in only one of the 10 serious accidents in this country over the past 10 years.” Bill Voss, president of the independent Flight Safety Foundation, said that “this is a symptom of a larger problem in selection and certification.” He added, “A shortage of pilots this decade, prompted in part by the lower numbers of former military pilots seeking airline jobs, prompted lower minimum qualifications.”
From the American Association for Justice news release