 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
Anaviation accident is an event during aircraft operation that results in serious injury, death, or significant destruction. Anaviation incident is any operating event that compromises safety but does not escalate into an aviation accident. Preventing both accidents and incidents is the primary goal ofaviation safety. Adverse weather conditions, including turbulence, thunderstorms, icing, and low visibility, have historically been major contributing factors in aviation accidents and incidents worldwide.[1]
According to Annex 13 of theConvention on International Civil Aviation, an aviation accident is an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with theintention of flight until all such persons have disembarked, and in which (a) a person is fatally or seriously injured, (b) the aircraft sustains significant damage or structural failure, or (c) the aircraft goes missing or becomes completely inaccessible.[2] Annex 13 defines anaviation incident as an occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operation.[2]
Ahull loss occurs if an aircraft is damaged beyond repair, is lost, or becomes completely inaccessible.[3]
One of the earliest recorded aviation accidents occurred on May 10, 1785, when ahot air balloon crashed inTullamore, County Offaly, Ireland. The resulting fire seriously damaged the town, destroying over 130 homes.[4] The first accident involving a powered aircraft occurred on September 17, 1908, when aWright Model A crashed atFort Myer, Virginia, USA. The pilot and co-inventor,Orville Wright, was injured, and the passenger, Signal Corps LieutenantThomas Selfridge, was killed.[5]
The first aircraft accident in which 200 or more people died occurred on March 3, 1974, when 346 died in the crash ofTurkish Airlines Flight 981. As of July 2025[update], there have been a total of 34 aviation incidents in which 200 or more people have died.
The period from 1958 to 1968 saw tremendous growth in aviation. Improvements in aviation safety and accident investigation procedures were rapidly advancing. In 1963, the Civil Aeronautics Board, under the leadership of then Deputy DirectorBobbie R. Allen, established the National Aircraft Accident Investigation School in Oklahoma City.
TheICAO's third accident investigation division meeting, held in Montreal, Canada, in January 1965, laid the foundation for accident investigations throughout the world. The proposals were presented by the Director of theCivil Aeronautics Board Bureau of Safety,Bobbie R. Allen, who headed the U.S. delegation. The U.S. formally adopted the proposals at theWhite House on December 1, 1965.[6]
The top 10 countries with the highest number of fatal civil airliner accidents from 1945 to 2021 are the United States, Russia, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, United Kingdom, France, Indonesia, Mexico, and India.[7] The United Kingdom is noted to have the highest number of air crashes in Europe, with a total of 110 air crashes within the time period, and Indonesia is the highest in Asia at 104, followed by India at 95.[7]
The most fatalities on board a single aircraft are the 520 fatalities of the1985 Japan Air Lines Flight 123 accident. The largest loss of life in a single aviation accident are the 583 fatalities of the1977 Tenerife airport disaster, in which twoBoeing 747s collided. The largest loss of life overall in a collective incident are the 2,996 fatalities in the coordinated terrorist destruction of airplanes and occupied buildings in the2001 September 11 attacks; the first plane to be hijacked and crashed as part of the attack,American Airlines Flight 11, was alone responsible for an estimated 1,700 fatalities in total, making it the single deadliest aviation disaster in history.
The deadliest aviation-related disaster regarding fatalities both on board the aircraft and casualties on the ground, was the destruction of theWorld Trade Center inNew York City onSeptember 11, 2001. On that morning, four commercial jet airliners on transcontinental flights from East Coast airports to California were hijacked after takeoff. The four hijacked aircraft weresubsequently crashed in a series of four coordinatedsuicide attacks against major American landmarks by19 Islamist terrorists affiliated withAl-Qaeda.
American Airlines Flight 11 andUnited Airlines Flight 175, both regularly scheduled domestic transcontinental flights from Boston to Los Angeles, were hijacked by five men each, with the assigned pilot hijacker taking control of the flight, before being intentionally crashed into theNorth andSouth Towers of the World Trade Center, respectively,destroying both buildings in less than two hours. The World Trade Center crashes killed 2,753. As both planes were carrying a combined total of 157 occupants, the vast majority of fatalities were the occupants of the two towers and the emergency personnel responding to the disaster.
In addition, 184 were killed by the impact ofAmerican Airlines Flight 77, which crashed intothe Pentagon inArlington County, Virginia, causing severe damage and partial destruction to the building's west side. The crash ofUnited Airlines Flight 93 into a field inSomerset County, Pennsylvania, which occurred as passengers attempted to retake control of the aircraft from the hijackers, killed all 40 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft. This brought thetotal number of casualties of the September 11 attacks to 2,996 (including the 19 terrorist hijackers).
As deliberate terrorist acts, the 9/11 crashes were not classified as accidents, but as mass-killing. The events were treated by the member nations ofNATO as an act of war and terrorism. Thewar on terror was subsequently launched by NATO in response to the attacks, eventually leading to the death of al-Qaeda leaderOsama bin Laden, who orchestrated the September 11 attacks.
TheTenerife airport disaster on March 27, 1977, remains the accident with the highest number of airliner passenger fatalities. 583 people died when aKLMBoeing 747 attempted to take off and collided with a taxiingPan Am 747 atLos Rodeos Airport on the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain. All 234 passengers and 14 crew of the KLM aircraft died and 335 of the 396 passengers and crew of the Pan Am aircraft died. Pilot error was the primary cause; the KLM captain mistakenly believed he had received air traffic control clearance and initiated takeoff.[8][9] Other contributing factors were a terrorist incident at Gran Canaria Airport that had caused many flights to be diverted to Los Rodeos, a small airport not well equipped to handle aircraft of such size, dense fog, poor radio phraseology, and controller distraction. The KLM flight crew could not see the Pan Am aircraft on the runway until immediately before the collision.[10] The accident had a lasting influence on the industry, particularly in the area of communication. An increased emphasis was placed on using standardized phraseology in air traffic control (ATC) communication by both controllers and pilots alike. "Cockpit Resource Management" has also been incorporated into flight crew training. The captain is no longer considered infallible, and combined crew input is encouraged during aircraft operations.[11]
The crash ofJapan Air Lines Flight 123 on August 12, 1985, has the highest number of fatalities for any single-aircraft accident:[12] 520 people died aboard aBoeing 747. The aircraft experienced explosive decompression due to an improperly repaired aft pressure bulkhead, leading to the destruction of most of its vertical stabilizer and severing all hydraulic lines, rendering the 747 nearly uncontrollable.[13] Pilots were able to keep the plane flying for 32 minutes after the mechanical failure before crashing into a mountain. All 15 crew members and 505 of the 509 passengers aboard died.[14] Japanese military personnel inaccurately assumed, during a helicopter flyover of the impact site, that there were no survivors. Rescue operations were delayed until the following morning. Medical providers involved in rescue and analysis operations determined that several passengers likely survived the impact and probably would have survived the incident had rescue operations not been delayed. Four passengers survived the incident in its entirety, meaning that they were alive when discharged from the hospital.[14]
| Number of deaths | Date | Flight name | Aircraft type | Accident details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 349 | November 12, 1996 | Saudia Flight 763 / Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 | Boeing 747 /Ilyushin Il-76 | Saudia Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907collided mid-air over the town ofCharkhi Dadri, nearDelhi, India. The collision was mainly the result of the Kazakh pilot flying lower than the assigned clearance altitude. All 349 occupants on board the two aircraft died.[15] It remains the world's deadliestmid-air collision without survivors.[16] TheRamesh Chandra Lahoti Commission, empowered to study the causes, recommended the creation of the "semi-circular rule", to prevent aircraft from flying in opposite directions at the same altitude.[17] The Civil Aviation Authorities in India made it mandatory for all aircraft flying in and out of India to be equipped with aTraffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), setting a worldwide precedent for mandatory use of TCAS. |
| 346 | March 3, 1974 | Turkish Airlines Flight 981 | McDonnell Douglas DC-10 | Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashed ina forest northeast ofParis, France. The London-bound aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Orly airport; all 346 people aboard died.[18] It was later determined that the cargo door detached, which caused an explosive decompression; this caused the floor just above to collapse. The collapsed floor severed the control cables, which left the pilots without control of the elevators, the rudder and No. 2 engine. The aircraft entered a steep dive and crashed. It was the deadliest plane crash of all time until the Tenerife disaster in 1977. It remains the deadliest single-aircraft crash with no survivors. This accident was also the deadliest single-aircraft crash that did not involve aBoeing 747. |
| 329 | June 23, 1985 | Air India Flight 182 | Boeing 747-237 | Air India Flight 182 en route fromToronto andMontreal toLondon andDelhi, crashed off the southwest coast of Ireland when a bomb exploded in the cargo hold. All 307 passengers and 22 crew members died.[19] One passenger had checked in as "M. Singh". Singh did not board the flight but his suitcase, containing the bomb, was loaded onto the aircraft. "M. Singh" was never identified or captured. It was later determinedSikh extremists were behind the bombing as a retaliation for the Indian government'sattack on theGolden Temple in the city ofAmritsar, spiritually the most significant shrine in Sikhism. This was, at the time, the deadliest terrorist attack involving an airplane.[20] |
| 301 | August 19, 1980 | Saudia Flight 163 | Lockheed L-1011 | Saudia Flight 163 became the world's deadliest aviation accident that did not involve a crash. The crew performed an emergency landing atRiyadh after a fire broke out in an aft baggage compartment. The fire burned through the ceiling of the compartment and into the passenger cabin. The crew landed the aircraft safely, but the captain did not stop immediately and order an evacuation. He taxied off the runway instead, by which time everyone in the cabin had become unconscious due to fumes and were unable to open any doors or evacuate. All 301 passengers and crew aboard died of suffocation before rescue ground crews could open any door, after which the aircraft burst into flames and was consumed by fire.[21] |
| 298 | July 17, 2014 | Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 | Boeing 777-200ER | Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 flying fromAmsterdam toKuala Lumpur, was shot down in an area of Eastern Ukraine near the Ukraine/Russian border during thewar in Donbas. There were 298 people on board: 283 passengers and 15 crew members, all of whom died. The crew were all Malaysians, while the passengers were of various nationalities, most from the Netherlands. SeveralUkrainian Air Force (UAF) aircrafthad been shot down over the rebel-controlled territory before the MH17 incident. Immediately after the crash, a post appeared on theVKontakte social media profile attributed toIgor Girkin, leader of the Donbas separatist militia, claiming responsibility for shooting down a UkrainianAn-26 military transport nearTorez.[22] The post was removed later the same day, and the separatists then denied shooting down any aircraft.[23][24][25] |
| 290 | July 3, 1988 | Iran Air Flight 655 | Airbus A300-200 | Iran Air Flight 655, an Iranian civilian airliner, was shot down by twosurface-to-air missiles from theU.S. Navyguided missile cruiserUSSVincennes over theStrait of Hormuz. All 290 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft died. The downing was caused by a series of mistakes that led the USS Vincennes crew to believe that the airliner was anIranian Air ForceF-14. |
| 275 | February 19, 2003 | Iranian military aircraft | Ilyushin Il-76 | An Iranian military Ilyushin Il-76crashed in mountainous terrain nearKerman in Iran. The official report says bad weather brought the aircraft down; high winds and fog were present at the time of the crash.[26] |
| 273 | May 25, 1979 | American Airlines Flight 191 | McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 | American Airlines Flight 191 crashed shortly after lifting off the runway at Chicago O'Hare Airport after the number one (left) engine and pylon separated from the wing. This broke hydraulic lines, causing leading edge lift devices to retract on that side of the aircraft and resulted in asymmetrical lift and loss of control. The accident was attributed to improper maintenance procedures. The crash resulted in the deaths of all 271 passengers and crew on board, as well as two people on the ground. It remains the deadliest commercial aircraft accident in United States history,[27][28] and was also the country's deadliest aviation disaster until the September 11 attacks in 2001. |
| 270 | December 21, 1988 | Pan Am Flight 103 | Boeing 747-121 | Pan Am Flight 103 bound forNew York–JFK fromLondon–Heathrow with continued service toDetroit, was destroyed by a terrorist bomb over the town ofLockerbie, Scotland. All 259 occupants and 11 people on the ground (all residents of Sherwood Crescent, Lockerbie), died,[29][30] making it the worst terrorist attack involving an aircraft in the UK and the deadliest terrorist attack on British soil. Following the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed new security measures on American airlines flying out of 103 airports in Western Europe and the Middle East.[31] |
| 269 | September 1, 1983 | Korean Air Lines Flight 007 | Boeing 747-230 | A SovietinterceptorSukhoi Su-15 shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 bound forGimpo International Airport inSeoul, South Korea, after it unintentionally flew into Soviet airspace; all 269 occupants on board died.[32] |
| 265 | November 12, 2001 | American Airlines Flight 587 | Airbus A300 | American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in the Belle Harbor neighborhood ofQueens, New York, just after departingJohn F. Kennedy International Airport bound forLas Américas International Airport,Santo Domingo. The first officer's overuse of the rudder in response to wake turbulence from aJapan Airlines 747 was cited as cause. All 260 people on board, as well as five people on the ground, died from the crash.[33][34][35] It is the second-deadliest aviation accident on U.S. soil, afterAmerican Airlines Flight 191. |
| 264 | April 26, 1994 | China Airlines Flight 140 | Airbus A300B4-622R | China Airlines Flight 140 was completing a routine flight and approach atNagoya Airport, Japan, when the Airbus A300B4-622R's First Officer inadvertently pressed thetakeoff/go-around button, which raises the throttle position to the same as that for take offs and go-arounds. The action and the two pilots' reaction resulted in a crash that killed 264 (15 crew and 249 passengers) of the 271 people aboard.[36] |
| 261 | July 11, 1991 | Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 | Douglas DC-8-61 | Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 operated byNationair Canada, crashed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after two tires ignited upon takeoff, leading to an in-flight fire. All 261 occupants were killed. It is the deadliest aviation accident involving a DC-8, the largest aviation disaster involving a Canadian-registered aircraft and the second-worst accident in Saudi Arabia (after Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 163 – see above).[37] |
| 260 | June 12, 2025 | Air India Flight 171 | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | Air India Flight 171 flying fromAhmedabad, India, toLondon, United Kingdom, crashed shortly after take off into the Meghaninagar neighbourhood, killing all but one of the 242 people onboard and also 19 people on the ground.[38][39][40][41] According to a preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the crash was caused by both engines losing thrust after the fuel control switches moved from the RUN to CUTOFF position. The cause of the switch movement remains under investigation. |
| 257 | April 11, 2018 | Algerian Air Force transport aircraft | Ilyushin Il-76 | Algerian Air Forcetransport aircraft crashed shortly after take-off fromBoufarik Airport, killing all 257 occupants on board the Ilyushin Il-76.[42] |
| 257 | November 28, 1979 | Air New Zealand Flight 901 | McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 | Air New Zealand Flight 901 an Antarctic sightseeing flight, collided withMount Erebus onRoss Island, Antarctica, killing all 257 occupants on board.[43][44] The flight crew had not been informed that the computer coordinates for the flight path of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 had been changed the night before, directing the flight towards Mount Erebus rather than the usual path downMcMurdo Sound.[45] |
| 256 | December 12, 1985 | Arrow Air Flight 1285R | Douglas DC-8-63CF | Arrow Air Flight 1285R carrying American military personnel on a charter flight home for Christmas, crashed inNewfoundland; all 256 occupants on board died.[46] The Canadian Aviation Safety Board investigating the cause of the crash issued two different reports: the majority report cited ice on the wings as cause of the crash; the minority report suggests an explosion was the likely cause. This was the deadliest aviation incident in Canadian history. |
| 239 | March 8, 2014 | Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 | Boeing 777-200ER | Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 flying fromKuala Lumpur, Malaysia, toBeijing, China, lost contact with air traffic controllers over theSouth China Sea, deviated from its planned route, and was presumed lost in the southernIndian Ocean. It carried 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers from 15 nations, who are all presumed dead. A multinational search effort, the most extensive and expensive in aviation history, has thus far failed to locate the aircraft, though debris from the aircraft has been recovered from beaches around theIndian Ocean. Numeroustheories have been offered to explain the disappearance of the flight, with pilot suicide considered most likely, but none have been confirmed. |
| 234 | September 26, 1997 | Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 | Airbus A300B4-220 | Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 which departed fromJakarta, Indonesia, and was preparing to land atMedan,North Sumatra, crashed into mountainous terrain, killing all 234 occupants on board. The causes included turning left instead of right as instructed by ATC and descending below the assigned altitude of 2,000 feet due to pilot error. It is the deadliest aviation disaster in Indonesia's history. |
| 230 | July 17, 1996 | TWA Flight 800 | Boeing 747-131 | TWA Flight 800 carrying 230 occupants, exploded and crashed into theAtlantic Ocean nearEast Moriches, New York, shortly after departing fromJohn F. Kennedy International Airport on a flight toParis andRome. A lengthy investigation concluded that the probable cause of the accident was a short circuit in a fuel tank that contained an explosive mixture of fuel vapor and air. As a result, new requirements were developed to prevent future fuel tank explosions in aircraft. |
| 229 | September 2, 1998 | Swissair Flight 111 | McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | Swissair Flight 111 carrying 215 passengers and 14 crew fromNew York City toGeneva, Switzerland, crashed into theAtlantic Ocean nearHalifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, killing all 229 people aboard. After a lengthy investigation, an official report stated that flammable material used in the aircraft's structure, specifically the Personal TV Systems recently installed in the Business Class Cabin, allowed a fire to spread, resulting in a loss of control. |
| 228 | June 1, 2009 | Air France Flight 447 | Airbus A330-203 | Air France Flight 447 carrying 228 occupants, was en route fromRio de Janeiro, Brazil toParis, France, when it crashed into theAtlantic Ocean. The aircraft'sflight recorders were not recovered from the ocean floor until May 2011, and the final investigative report was released in July 2012. It determined that the disaster was likely due to the aircraft'spitot tubes being obstructed by ice crystals, causing theautopilot to disconnect. The crew reacted incorrectly, leading to anaerodynamic stall from which the jet did not recover. |
| 228 | August 6, 1997 | Korean Air Flight 801 | Boeing 747-3B5 | Korean Air Flight 801 crashed on approach to the international airport in the United States territory ofGuam, killing 228 of the 254 people aboard. Contributing factors in the crash were fatigue and errors by the flight crew, inadequate flight crew training, and a modification of the airport's altitude warning system that prevented it from detecting aircraft below a minimum safe altitude. |
| 227 | January 8, 1996 | 1996 Air Africa Antonov An-32 crash | Antonov An-32B | An Antonov An-32B aircraft with six crew members on board overshot the runway atN'Dolo Airport,Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and crashed into a market place. Four on board survived but 225 people on the ground were killed and an estimated 500 were injured (estimated 253 seriously injured). It is the crash with the most non-passenger ground fatalities (not including9/11). It is usually known as the1996 Air Africa crash. |
| 225 | May 25, 2002 | China Airlines Flight 611 | Boeing 747-209B | China Airlines Flight 611 bound forHong Kong International Airport inHong Kong, disintegrated in mid-air and crashed into theTaiwan Strait 20 minutes after takeoff from Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (nowTaiwan Taoyuan International Airport) in Taiwan. It was determined that the crash, which killed all 206 passengers and 19 crew members aboard the plane, was caused by improper repairs to the aircraft 22 years earlier when the aircraft encountered atailstrike. |
| 224 | October 31, 2015 | Metrojet Flight 9268 | Airbus A321-231 | Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed in theSinai Peninsula after departingSharm el-Sheikh International Airport, Egypt, en route toPulkovo Airport,Saint Petersburg, Russia. All 224 occupants on board were killed. A branch of theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for bringing down the jet, and a Russian investigation concluded that a bomb was detonated inside the plane at a high altitude. |
| 223 | May 26, 1991 | Lauda Air Flight 004 | Boeing 767-3Z9ER | Lauda Air Flight 004 broke up in midair over a remote area of Thailand due to an uncommanded deployment of athrust reverser on one of the plane's engines, killing all 223 occupants aboard. The flight, which originated atKai Tak Airport, Hong Kong, and made a stopover atDon Mueang International Airport inBangkok, Thailand, was en route toVienna International Airport,Vienna, Austria, when the accident occurred. |
| 217 | October 31, 1999 | EgyptAir Flight 990 | Boeing 767-366ER | EgyptAir Flight 990 flying fromLos Angeles International Airport, United States, toCairo International Airport, Egypt, with a stop atJohn F. Kennedy International Airport,New York City, crashed into theAtlantic Ocean south ofNantucket Island,Massachusetts, killing all 217 occupants onboard. TheNational Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the crash was deliberate action by the relief first officer in response to his removal from international service withinEgyptair, a finding disputed by Egyptian authorities who maintain another cause of the accident. |
| 213 | January 1, 1978 | Air India Flight 855 | Boeing 747-237B | Air India Flight 855 crashed into theArabian Sea just off the coast ofBombay, India, killing all 213 occupants on board. An investigation concluded that the captain became disoriented after the failure of one of the flight instruments in the cockpit, leading to "irrational control inputs" that caused the plane to crash. |
| 202 | February 16, 1998 | China Airlines Flight 676 | Airbus A300B4-622R | China Airlines Flight 676 en route fromNgurah Rai Airport inBali, Indonesia, to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (nowTaoyuan International Airport), Taiwan, crashed into a road and residential neighborhood inTaoyuan, Taiwan, killing 182 passengers, 14 crew, and six people on the ground. An investigation determined that when the control tower ordered the pilot to abort his landing and "go around" for a second attempt, the pilot, who had unintentionally released the plane's autopilot, did nothing to take control of the plane for 11 seconds as he apparently thought the autopilot would initiate the go around. As the aircraft approached the airport, the pilot executed a sudden steep ascent that produced astall and crash.China Airlines was also criticized for "insufficient training". |
| 200 | July 10, 1985 | Aeroflot Flight 5143 | Tupolev Tu-154B-2 | Aeroflot Flight 5143 on a domesticKarshi–Ufa–Leningrad route, crashed nearUchkuduk,Uzbek SSR,Soviet Union, on the first leg of its route. All 200 occupants onboard were killed. An investigation concluded that the plane went down due to pilot error. The air crew used an inappropriately low airspeed, causing vibrations that they incorrectly interpreted as engine surges. As a result, they further reduced engine power, causing the aircraft tostall and crash. |
In over one hundred years of implementation, aviation safety has improved considerably. In modern times, two major manufacturers still produce heavy passenger aircraft for the civilian market:Boeing in the United States, and the European companyAirbus. Both of these manufacturers place a huge emphasis on the use of aviation safety equipment, now a billion-dollar industry in its own right; safety is a key selling point for these companies, as they recognize that a poor safety record in the aviation industry is a threat to corporate survival.
Some major safety devices now required in commercial aircraft are:
Measured on a passenger-distance calculation, air travel is the safest form of transportation available: Figures mentioned are the ones shared by the air industry when quoting air safety statistics. A typical statement, e.g., by the BBC: "UK airline operations are among the safest anywhere. When compared against all other modes of transport on a fatality per mile basis, air transport is the safest – six times safer than travelling by car and twice as safe as rail."[51]
When measured by fatalities per person transported, however,buses are the safest form of transportation. The number of air travel fatalities per person are surpassed only by bicycles and motorcycles. This statistic is used by the insurance industry when calculating insurance rates for air travel.[52]
For every billion kilometers traveled, trains have a fatality rate that is 12 times higher than that of air travel, and the fatality rate for automobiles is 62 times greater than for air travel. By contrast, for every billionjourneys taken, buses are the safest form of transportation; using this measure, air travel is three times more dangerous than car transportation, and almost 30 times more dangerous than travelling by bus.[53]
A 2007 study byPopular Mechanics magazine found that passengers sitting at the back of an aeroplane are 40% more likely to survive a crash than those sitting at the front. The article quotes Boeing, the FAA, and a website on aircraft safety, all of which claim that there is no "safest" seat. The study examined 20 crashes, not taking into account the developments in safety after those accidents.[54] However, aflight data recorder is usually mounted in the aircraft'sempennage (tail section) where it is more likely to survive a severe crash.
Between 1983 and 2000, the survival rate for people in U.S. plane crashes was greater than 95 percent.[55]
In an effort to prevent incidents such as the disappearance ofMalaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a new standard has been issued requiring all commercial aircraft to report their position every 15 minutes to air traffic controllers regardless of the country of origin. Introduced in 2016 by theICAO, the regulation has no initial requirement for any new aircraft equipment to be fitted. The standard is part of a long-term plan, called the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS), which will require new aircraft to be equipped with data broadcast systems that are in constant contact with air traffic controllers.[56] The GADSS is similar to theGlobal Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) used for maritime safety.[57]
TheAviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) collects voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident/situation reports from pilots, controllers and others. The ASRS uses reports to identify system deficiencies, issue alert messages, and produce two publications,CALLBACK, andASRS Directline. The collected information is made available to the public, and is used by the FAA, NASA and other organizations working in research and flight safety.[58]
The Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A),[59] formerly known as the Aircraft Crashes Record Office (ACRO), a non-government organization based inGeneva, Switzerland, compiles statistics on aviation accidents of aircraft capable of carrying more than six passengers, excluding helicopters, balloons, and combat aircraft. ACRO only considers crashes in which the aircraft has suffered such damage that it is removed from service, which will further reduce the statistics for incidents and fatalities compared to some other data. The total fatalities due to aviation accidents since 1970 are 83,772. The total number of incidents are 11,164.[60]
According to ACRO, recent years have been considerably safer for aviation, with fewer than 170 incidents every year between 2009 and 2017, compared to as many as 226 as recently as 1998.[61]
The annual fatalities figure is less than 1,000 for ten of the fourteen years between 2007 and 2020, the year 2017 experiencing the lowest number of fatalities, at 399, since the end of World War II.[62]
2014 included thedisappearance of flight MH370 over theIndian Ocean and theshootdown of flight MH17 as part of thewar in Donbas. The total number of fatalities in 2014 was 869 more than in 2013.
Deaths and incidents in the world per year according to ACRO and Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives data, as of January 1, 2019[update]:
| Year | Deaths[63] | Number of incidents[64] |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,226 | 298 |
| 1971 | 2,228 | 271 |
| 1972 | 3,346 | 344 |
| 1973 | 2,814 | 333 |
| 1974 | 2,621 | 270 |
| 1975 | 1,856 | 316 |
| 1976 | 2,419 | 277 |
| 1977 | 2,449 | 340 |
| 1978 | 2,042 | 356 |
| 1979 | 2,511 | 328 |
| 1980 | 2,203 | 325 |
| 1981 | 1,506 | 272 |
| 1982 | 1,958 | 250 |
| 1983 | 1,921 | 238 |
| 1984 | 1,273 | 234 |
| 1985 | 2,968 | 261 |
| 1986 | 1,763 | 238 |
| 1987 | 2,064 | 277 |
| 1988 | 2,313 | 254 |
| 1989 | 2,507 | 265 |
| 1990 | 1,631 | 261 |
| 1991 | 1,957 | 240 |
| 1992 | 2,299 | 266 |
| 1993 | 1,760 | 275 |
| 1994 | 2,018 | 231 |
| 1995 | 1,828 | 266 |
| 1996 | 2,796 | 251 |
| 1997 | 1,768 | 232 |
| 1998 | 1,721 | 225 |
| 1999 | 1,150 | 221 |
| 2000 | 1,586 | 198 |
| 2001 | 1,539[a] | 210 |
| 2002 | 1,418 | 197 |
| 2003 | 1,233 | 201 |
| 2004 | 767 | 178 |
| 2005 | 1,463 | 194 |
| 2006 | 1,298 | 192 |
| 2007 | 981 | 169 |
| 2008 | 952 | 189 |
| 2009 | 1,108 | 163 |
| 2010 | 1,130 | 162 |
| 2011 | 828 | 154 |
| 2012 | 800 | 156 |
| 2013 | 459 | 138 |
| 2014 | 1,328 | 122 |
| 2015 | 898 | 123 |
| 2016 | 629 | 102 |
| 2017 | 399 | 101 |
| 2018 | 1,040 | 113 |
| 2019 | 578 | 125 |
| 2020 | 463 | 90 |
| 2021 | 414 | 113 |
| 2022 | 357 | 100 |
| 2023 | 229 | 82 |
| 2024 | 416 | 30 |
| 2025year-to-date as of June 12 | 360 | 122 |
(Data have significantly changed since November 2015 after a major upgrade to the death rate and crash rate web pages.[65][66] This may reflect a change between astatic anddynamic web page, where data were made to be automatically updated based on the incidents in theirarchives.)
.svg)
 |  |
TheEuropean Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is tasked by Article 15(4) of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of February 20, 2008, to provide an annual review of aviation safety.
TheAnnual Safety Review presents statistics on European and worldwide civil aviation safety. Statistics are grouped according to type of operation, for instance, commercial air transport, and aircraft category, such as aeroplanes, helicopters, gliders, etc.The Agency has access to accident and statistical information collected by theInternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).[67] States are required, according to ICAO Annex 13, on Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, to report to ICAO information, on accidents and serious incidents to aircraft with a maximum certificated take-off mass (MTOM) over 2250 kg. Therefore, most statistics in this review concern aircraft above this mass. In addition to the ICAO data, a request was made to the EASA Member States to obtain light aircraft accident data. Furthermore, data on the operation of aircraft for commercial air transport were obtained from both ICAO and theNLR Air Transport Safety Institute.[68]
Annex 13 of theChicago Convention provides the internationalStandards And Recommended Practices that form the basis for air accident and incident investigations by signatory countries, as well as reporting and preventive measures.[69] TheInternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is specifically focused on preventing accidents, rather than determining liability.
In Australia, theAustralian Transport Safety Bureau is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents, covering air, sea, and rail travel. Formerly an agency of theDepartment of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, in 2010, in the interests of keeping its independence it became a stand-alone agency.[70]
In Brazil, theAeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) was established under the auspices of the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center, a Military Organization of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The organization is responsible for the activities of aircraft accident prevention, and investigation of civil and military aviation occurrences. Formed in 1971, and in accordance with international standards, CENIPA represented a new philosophy: investigations are conducted with the sole purpose of promoting the "prevention of aeronautical accidents".[71]
In Canada, theTransportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), is an independent agency responsible for the advancement of transportation safety through the investigation and reporting of accident and incident occurrences in all prevalent Canadian modes of transportation – marine, air, rail and pipeline.[72]
In China, theCivil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is solely responsible for all air investigations and safety inside the country after the split from the formalCAAC Airlines.[73]
In Ethiopia, the Civil Aviation Accident Prevention and Investigation Bureau of theEthiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), which is an agency of theMinistry of Transport and Communications, conducts aircraft accident investigations in Ethiopia or involving Ethiopian aircraft.[74]
In France, the agency responsible for investigation of civilian air crashes is theBureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA). Its purpose is to establish the circumstances and causes of the accident and to make recommendations for their future avoidance.[75]
In Germany, the agency for investigating air crashes is theFederal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation (BFU). It is an agency of theFederal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure.[76] The focus of the BFU is to improve safety by determining the causes of accidents and serious incidents and making safety recommendations to prevent recurrence.[76]
TheAir Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) is responsible for investigating civil aviation accidents in Hong Kong, as well as those in other territories involving a Hong Kong-registered aircraft. It is led by Darren Straker, Chief Inspector of Accidents, and headquartered atHong Kong International Airport. AAIA was established in 2018 in response to an ICAO directive instructing that member states maintain air accident investigation authorities that are independent of civil aviation authorities and related entities. Prior to 2018, accident investigation duties were held by theCivil Aviation Department's Flight Standards & Airworthiness Division and Accident Investigation Division.[77][78]
Until May 30, 2012, theDirectorate General of Civil Aviation investigated incidents involving aircraft. Since then, theAircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has taken over investigation responsibilities.[79]
In Indonesia, theNational Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC;Indonesian:Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi, KNKT) is responsible for the investigation of incidents and accidents, including air accidents. Its aim is the improvement of transportation safety, not just aviation, in Indonesia.
Created in 1999 in Italy, theAgenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo (ANSV), has two main tasks: conducting technical investigations for civil aviation aircraft accidents and incidents, while issuing safety recommendations as appropriate; and conducting studies and surveys aimed at increasing flight safety. The organization is also responsible for establishing and maintaining the "voluntary reporting system". Although not under the supervision of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the ANSV is a public authority under the oversight of thePresidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy.[80]
TheJapan Transport Safety Board investigates aviation accidents and incidents. TheAircraft Accident Investigation Commission investigated aviation accidents and incidents in Japan until October 1, 2001, when theAircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission (ARAIC) replaced it,[81] and the ARAIC did this function until October 1, 2008, when it merged into the JTSB.[82]
Established in 2016, theAir Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Malaysia is the main investigation body for aircraft accident/incident. Separate fromCivil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) andMalaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) that is the national aviation authority and commission that oversee aviation economy respectively. The AAIB operates from the ministry of transport headquarters inPutrajaya, and itsblack box laboratory situated in STRIDE, the ministry of defenses research institute. AAIB Malaysia is teamed by civilians and secondedRoyal Malaysian Airforce senior officer and a group of pool investigators fromMalaysia Institute of Aviation Technology
In Mexico, theDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) investigates aviation accidents.[83]
In the Netherlands, theDutch Safety Board (Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid) is responsible for the investigation of incidents and accidents, including air accidents. Its aim is the improvement of safety in the Netherlands. Its main focus is on those situations in which civilians are dependent on the government, companies or organizations for their safety. The Board solely investigates when incidents or accidents occur and aims to draw lessons from the results of these investigations. The Safety Board is objective, impartial and independent in its judgment. The Board will always be critical towards all parties concerned.[84]
In New Zealand, theTransport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) is responsible for the investigation of air accidents.[85]"The Commission's purpose, as set out in its Act, is to determine the circumstances and causes of aviation, rail and maritime accidents, and incidents, with a view to avoiding similar occurrences in the future, rather than to ascribe blame to any person."[86] The TAIC investigates with accordance with annex 13 of theICAO[87] and specific New Zealand legislation.[88]
In Poland,State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation (Polish:Państwowa Komisja Badania Wypadków Lotniczych,PKBWL) is responsible for investigating all civil aviation accidents and incidents occurring in the country. Headquartered in Warsaw, the commission is a division of theMinistry of Infrastructure. As of November 2022, the head of the PKBWL is Bogusław Trela.
In Russia, theInterstate Aviation Committee (IAC, MAK according to the original Russian name) is an executive body overseeing the use and management of civil aviation in theCommonwealth of Independent States. This organization investigates air accidents in the formerUSSR area under the umbrella of the Air Accident Investigation Commission of the Interstate Aviation Committee.[89] There are active discussion to dismantling the committee, and in 2020, Armenia and Russia has signed on a joint agreement establishing theInternational Bureau for investigating aviation accidents and serious incidents (InRussian: Международное бюро по расследованию авиационных происшествий и серьезных инцидентов), designed to replace the committee and to act as upper body for investigation of aviation incidents and, subordinate to theEurasian Union. The new body has been assigned duties to investigate serious accidents and incidents in accordance with the requirements of ICAO documents, ensuring independent investigation of accidents, cooperation and interaction between the parties in relation to investigating aircraft accidents, development and use of common rules and procedures for investigating aircraft accidents.
In Taiwan, theTaiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) is the independent government agency that is responsible for major transportation accident investigations. TTSB's predecessor was ASC, which was established in 1998. TTSB is under the administration of the Executive Yuan and independent fromCivil Aviation Administration. The TTSB consisted of five to seven board members, including a chairman and a vice chairman, appointed by thePremier. The managing director of TTSB manages the day-to-day function of the organization, including accident investigations.[90]
In the United Kingdom, the agency responsible for investigation of civilian air crashes is theAir Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) of theDepartment for Transport. Its purpose is to establish the circumstances and causes of the accident and to make recommendations for their future avoidance.[91]
United States civil aviation incidents are investigated by theNational Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB officials piece together evidence from the crash site to determine likely cause, or causes. The NTSB also investigates overseas incidents involving US-registered aircraft, in collaboration with local investigative authorities, especially when significant loss of American lives occurs, or when the involved aircraft is American-built.[92]
In Venezuela, the organization tasked with investigating aviation accidents is theMinistry of Aquatic and Air Transport, more specifically the Directorate General for the Prevention and Investigation of Aeronautical Accidents.
Out of respect for the deceased and injured, airlines commonly retire the flight number associated with a fatal crash.[93] For example, following the shootdown ofMalaysia Airlines Flight 17, the flight number was changed to MH19.Japan Airlines stopped using the flight number 350 after afatal plane crash in Tokyo Bay.[94]TransAsia Airways retired the flight number 235 and changed it to 2353 aftera plane crash in 2015 that left 15 survivors andAir India retired 171 and 172 after the crash ofAir India Flight 171. However, that is not always the case.[95] For example,China Southern Airlines andFedEx Express continued using the flight number 3456 and 14 respectively even after China Southern Airlineshad a fatal accident in 1997 and a FedEx Express aircraftcrashed on landing a month later. Similarly,Japan Airlines andSingapore Airlines continued using the flight number 516 and 321 respectively, even after the Japan Airlines flight wasinvolved in a collision in 2024 while the Singapore Airlines flightencountered severe turbulence and caused one death a few months later.
At press time no information had been released concerning the flightdata and cockpit-voice recorder of Air New Zealand McDonnell Douglas DC-10 ZK-NZP, which crashed on Mount Erebus on 28 November.
Airlines often retire flight numbers following fatal crashes so as not to evoke negative emotions among other passengers and crew
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
|
