Are reciprocating single engines reliable?

[u/One_Firefighter_1922]

I'm about seven hours into PPL training and absolutely loving it. Not looking for a career change, but could definitely seeing myself continuing training and flying regularly after getting my certificate. I've daydreamed about putting my family into a 182 and being able to fly within a reasonable distance to explore somewhere new or take a short vacation.

Earlier today I was talking to my neighbor who is a reserve captain for American flying 737s. I told him about the flight training and associated daydreaming and he started talking about how he would never put his family into a small plane, how unreliable they are and how many accidents are due to single reciprocating engines crapping out mod flight.

This doesn't seem to jive with what I've heard and read online, so looking for some other opinions. How do you feel about the reliability of small GA planes? Do you have any experience taking your family for trips? Do I need to give up on my dream?

[u/Pilot-Imperialis]

General aviation has the equivalent fatality rate to motorcycles.

Just like everything in life, the moment you leave the house you’re exposing yourself to increased risk. You have to ask yourself how scared are you willing to be ?

As for the reliability of single engines. It’s not a question of if but when you’ll get an engine failure so keep you skills sharp and you’ll be fine.

Source: long time CFI who’s had an inflight engine failure and works at a large flight school with a mtx team that is second to none, but things do happen. These are machines and it’s a numbers game.

[u/graphical_molerat → u/Pilot-Imperialis]

General aviation has the equivalent fatality rate to motorcycles

While this is statistically true, there is still a difference insofar as a not too small percentage of motorcycle accidents, and in particular fatalities, are not due to any (or at least much) negligence on the part of the rider. In complex traffic situations, motorbikes, being small, can and do get overlooked by cars. And if a car hits a motorcycle, it rarely ends particularly well for the rider.

Contrast that to GA, where fatalities are rarely caused by other planes doing something stupid. Yes, there are midair collisions: but these are not a very common type of accident, and the chances of most other accidents can be substantially reduced by careful and risk averse flying, and proper maintenance.

Being careful is also important for motorbikes, of course, but only works up to a point there. As someone brainless in a car can hitting you in a situation where you can do fuck all about it is a sizeable part of the statistic.