{

PB98-172463

NTSB/ARG-98/01

1

NATIONAL

TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY

BOARD

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20594

ANNUAL REVIEW OF

AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT DATA

U.S. GENERAL AVIATION

CALENDAR YEAR 1995

6987

\ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1S89 0-942-865
National Transportation Safety Board. 1998. U.S. general aviation, calendar year 1995.

Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data NTSB/ARG-98/01. Washington, DC. 63p.

This report presents a statistical review of general aviation accidents that occurred in 1995.

The accidents for which data are presented involved U.S. registered aircraft that were not

conducting operations under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 121 and 135.

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent Federal agency dedicated to

promoting aviation, railroad, highway, marine, pipeline, and hazardous materials safety. Established

in 1967, the agency is mandated by Congress through the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to

investigate transportation accidents, determine the probable causes of the accidents, issue safety

recommendations, study transportation safety issues, and evaluate the safety effectiveness of

government agencies involved in transportation. The Safety Board makes public its actions and

decisions through accident reports, safety studies, special investigation reports, safety

recommendations, and statistical reviews.

Recent publications are available in their entirety on the Web at http://www.ntsb.gov/. Other

information about available publications may be obtained from the Web site or by contacting:

National Transportation Safety Board

Public Inquiries Section, RE-51

490 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20594

(202) 314-6551

(800) 877-6799

Safety Board publications may be purchased, by individual copy or by subscription, from:

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road

Springfield, Virginia 22161

(703) 605-6000
U.S. GENERAL AVIATION,

CALENDAR YEAR 1995

Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data

NTSB/ARG-98/01

Notation 6987

National Transportation

Safety Board

Washington, D.C.

September 1998

Contents iii

Contents

Highlights................................................................................................................................................................. 1

General Aviation Accident Trends................................................................................................................................ 1

Types of Aircraft........................................................................................................................................................... 1

Purpose of Flight........................................................................................................................................................... 2

Amateur-Built ............................................................................................................................................................... 2

Type of Flight................................................................................................................................................................ 2

Weather Conditions....................................................................................................................................................... 2

First Occurrence and Phase of Operation...................................................................................................................... 3

Causes of Accidents ...................................................................................................................................................... 3

Terminology Used in the Accident Data...................................................................................................... 5

Accident Data ......................................................................................................................................................... 9

Historical View of General Aviation Accidents (Charts 1–3)..................................................................................... 11

General (Charts 4–15)................................................................................................................................................ 17

Aircraft Operation Data (Charts 16-18) ...................................................................................................................... 29

Accident Environment (Charts 19-23) ........................................................................................................................ 33

Pilot Information (Charts 24-26)................................................................................................................................. 40

Appendix (Charts 27-43) ........................................................................................................................................ 47

Highlights 1

Highlights

A total of 2,078 U.S. registered general aviation aircraft were involved in 2,054

accidents1

 during calendar year 1995. Of these 2,054 accidents, 411 accidents (involving 419

aircraft) resulted in fatal injuries. This report presents a statistical review of these accidents, all

involving U.S. registered aircraft that were not conducting air carrier revenue operations under

Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Parts 121 or 135.

The accident data on which this review is based were extracted from the Safety Board’s

automated Aviation Accident Data System. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Statistics and

Forecast Branch, Planning Analysis Division, Office of Aviation Policy and Plans publishes the

“General Aviation and Air Taxi Survey,” which is the source of flight hours used in this report.

To conduct its annual survey, the FAA mails questionnaires to owners of a statistically selected

sample of aircraft. An analysis of returned questionnaires enables the FAA to estimate hours of

aircraft useage by purpose and type aircraft.

General Aviation Accident Trends

General aviation accidents increased by 3 percent from the 1,994 accidents reported in

calendar year 1994. Chart 1 shows an apparent levelling off of the downward trend in the number

of aircraft accidents since 1975, when commuter and air taxi operations (covered by 14 CFR Part

135) were first excluded from general aviation accident statistics. The overall accident rate

decreased from 1994 to 1995, from 9.11 to 8.71 accidents per 100,000 hours flown.

The number of persons killed increased slightly to 733 (726 aircraft occupants) from the

730 who were killed in 1994. The fatal accident rate (1.73 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours

flown) was lower than the 1.84 reported for 1994.

Type of Aircraft

Airplanes with a single piston engine accounted for 78 percent of general aviation

accidents in calendar year 1995. A total of 1,602 accidents, 297 fatal accidents, and 493 fatalities

 

1

 A collision between aircraft is counted as one accident for the purpose of this report. There were 15 accidents

in which two general aviation aircraft collided in the air and 9 on the ground.
2 Highlights

resulted in an accident rate of 10.09 and a fatal accident rate of 1.86 per 100,000 hours flown in

this aircraft type.

Piston-powered rotorcraft experienced an accident rate of 26.29 per 100,000 hours flown.

These aircraft had a 20-year low of 87 accidents, 8 fatal accidents, and 11 fatalities. Turbinepowered rotorcraft were involved in 65 accidents (4.07 per 100,000 hours flown), 15 of which

were fatal (0.95 per 100,000 hours flown) with 27 fatalities.

Purpose of Flight

Personal flying was involved in 1,284 accidents, 278 fatal accidents, and 488 fatalities.

Business flying accounted for 99 accidents, 32 fatal accidents, with 73 fatalities. Exposure data

(number of flying hours) do not reliably distinguish between personal and business flying;

consequently, individual accident rates cannot be calculated. The combined personal/business

accident rate was 11.10 accidents per 100,000 hours flown, and the combined fatal accident rate

was 2.47 per 100,000 hours flown. Aerial application operations accounted for 153 accidents

(11.34 per 100,000 hours), 15 fatal accidents (1.11 per 100,000 hours), and 15 fatalities.

Instructional flying accounted for 268 accidents (7.07 accidents per 100,000 hours flown), 23

fatal accidents (0.61 per 100,000 hours flown), and 44 fatalities.

Amateur-Built

Information about amateur-built aircraft is included in this report for the first time to

provide an insight into their accident performance. In 1995, amateur-built aircraft accounted for 2

percent of the aircraft hours flown in general aviation, but made up 10 percent of the accidents.

Chart 6 shows that an increasing percentage of general aviation accidents involve amateur-built

aircraft.

Type of Flight 

Accident-involved aircraft were fairly evenly divided between local flights (47%) and

point-to-point flights (53%). Fewer than one-third of accident-involved pilots flying point-topoint had filed flight plans.

Weather Conditions

More than 90 percent of accidents occur in visual meteorological conditions (VMC).

Accidents in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) are generally much more serious than
Highlights 3

those in VMC — 68 percent of accidents in IMC resulted in fatalities, compared to 16 percent of

accidents in VMC.

The specific weather conditions cited most frequently in nonfatal accidents were

“crosswind,” “gusts,” and “tailwind.” “Low ceiling,” “fog,” “clouds,” and “icing conditions”

were the most cited weather factors in fatal accidents.

First Occurrence and

Phase of Operation

Safety Board investigations of aircraft accidents identify one or more occurrences that

describe the accident sequence of events. The first occurrence is the event that initiates the

accident sequence.

Collisions were the first occurrence in more than 31 percent of fatal accidents, and loss of

control-in- flight in 27 percent. Partial or total loss of engine power was the first occurrence in 29

percent of aircraft involved in all accidents. Collisions were cited in 22 percent of accidents; but

only 1 percent involved mid-air collisions. Loss of control, either in-flight (by 13 percent of the

accident-involved pilots) or on the ground (by 10 percent of the pilots) was another prevalent

first occurrence.

Thirty-seven percent of accident-involved aircraft were on approach or landing, and 21

percent were taking off at the time of the first occurrence. In fatal accidents, the most frequently

cited accident phases were maneuvering (30 percent), approach and landing (22 percent), and

cruise (20 percent).

Causes of Accidents

Safety Board investigations of aircraft accidents frequently cite multiple causes and

contributing factors; thus, the analysis of the probable cause often identifies the combined

influence of more than one factor.

Seventy-eight percent of pilots involved in accidents were cited as either a cause or

contributing factor; in fatal accidents, 87 percent of pilots were cited. The environment

(including weather, light, objects, and terrain conditions) was cited for 41 percent of accidentinvolved aircraft and 39 percent of those in fatal accidents. Thirty percent of the aircraft involved

in accidents were found to be a cause or contributing factor; 21percent in fatal accidents.

.

Terminology 5

Terminology Used in the Data

Aircraft Accident: The accidents included in this report are the occurrences associated with the

operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with

the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers

death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage. The Safety Board’s

definition of substantial damage, as stated in 49 CFR 830.2 is:

Substantial damage means damage or failure which adversely affects the

structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics of the aircraft, and which

would normally require major repair or replacement of the affected component.

Engine failure or damage limited to an engine if only one engine fails or is

damaged, bent fairings or cowling, dented skin, small punctured holes in the skin

of fabric, ground damage to rotor or propeller blades, and damage to landing gear,

wheels, tires, flaps, engine accessories, brakes, or wingtips are not considered

“substantial damage.”

Causes and Related Factors: In determining probable cause(s) of an accident, all facts,

conditions, and circumstances are considered. The objective is to ascertain the cause-and-effect

relationships in the accident sequence about which something can be done to prevent recurrence

of a similar accident. For statistical purposes, when two or more causes are cited in an accident,

each is recorded and no attempt is made to establish a primary cause. Therefore, in charts that

identify causes and related factors cited in accidents, the number of causes exceeds the total

number of accidents. The term “factor” is used, in general, to denote those elements of an

accident that further explain or supplement the probable cause(s). This provides a means for

collecting essential information that could not readily be categorized elsewhere in the system.

Collision Between Aircraft: An accident is classified as a collision only when both aircraft are

occupied. This classification includes collisions between two aircraft that are airborne (midair),

between an aircraft that is airborne and another that is on the ground, and between two aircraft

that are on the ground. A collision with a parked, unoccupied aircraft is classified under the

broad category “collision with object.”

Injury: Injury index refers to the highest degree of personal injury sustained as a result of the

accident. Serious injury refers to any injury that (1) requires hospitalization for more than 48

hours, commencing within 7 days from the date the injury was received; (2) results in a fracture

of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); (3) causes severe hemorrhages,

nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; (4) involves injury to any internal organ; or (5) involves

second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of body surface (49

CFR 830.2). Fatal injury refers to any injury that results in death within 30 days of the accident.
6 Terminology

Purpose of Flight: The purpose for which the aircraft was being operated at the time of the

accident. In this report, accident data are presented for five purposes of flight:

Personal. Flying by individuals in their own or rented aircraft for pleasure, or for

personal transportation not in furtherance of their occupation or company

business. This category includes practice flying (for the purpose of increasing or

maintaining proficiency) not performed under supervision of an accredited

instructor, and not part of an approved flight training program.

Business. The use of aircraft by pilots (not receiving direct salary or

compensation for piloting) in connection with their occupation or in the

furtherance of a private business.

Corporate/Executive. The use of aircraft owned or leased, and operated by a

corporate or business firm for the transportation of personnel or cargo in

furtherance of the corporation’s or firm’s business, and that are flown by

professional pilots receiving a direct salary or compensation for piloting.

Aerial Application. The operation of aircraft for the purpose of dispensing any

substance for plant nourishment, soil treatment, propagation of plant life, pest

control, or fire control, including flying to and from the application site.

Instructional. Flying accomplished in supervised training under the direction of a

certificated instructor.

Phase of Operation: The phase of the flight or operation in which the first occurrence or

circumstance happened. If more than one occurrence is cited for a given phase of operation, that

phase is recorded for each occurrence.

Occurrence: The concept of sequence of events as a method of accident classification was

introduced in 1982 to describe the circumstances in an accident. A maximum of five occurrences

may be used. Typically each occurrence is further described by one or more “findings,” which,

when presented chronologically, depict the accident scenario from beginning to end. The

findings are developed by Safety Board analysts from a menu of words and phrases, and are the

most detailed means of classifying an accident. The findings are also used to describe the

probable cause of and related factors in an accident. The example below illustrates the

relationship between occurrences and findings.

Occurrence IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN

Phase of Operation LANDING – FLARE/TOUCHDOWN

Finding(s)

1. WHEELS UP LANDING – INADVERTENT – PILOT IN COMMAND

2. IMPROPER USE OF PROCEDURE, DIVERTED ATTENTION – PILOT IN COMMAND
Terminology 7

Weather Condition: Weather condition is described as visual meteorological conditions

(VMC) or instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and is expressed in terms of visibility,

distance from clouds, and ceilings in accordance with Part 91 of the Federal Aviation

Regulations.

9

Historical View of

General Aviation

Accidents

Historical View of Accidents 11

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

Year of occurrence

Accidents

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Year of occurrence

Accident Rates

Chart 1. Number of accidents (top) and accident rates (bottom), 1975 through

1995. (See Chart 27 in the appendix.)
12 Historical View of Accidents

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Year of occurrence

Fatal Accidents

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

Year of occurrence

Chart 2. Number of fatal accidents (top) and fatal accident rates (bottom),

1975 through 1995. (See Chart 27 in the appendix.)

Fatal Accident Rates
Historical View of Accidents 13

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

Year of occurrence

Occupant Fatalities

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Year of occurrence

Chart 3. Number of occupant fatalities (top) and nonoccupant fatalities

(which would include fatalities on the ground and fatalities that result from

collision with non-general aviation aircraft) (bottom), 1975 through 1995. (See

Chart 27 in the appendix.)

Nonoccupant Fatalities

135 fatalities aboard PSA and 7 ground fatalities

64 fatalities aboard Aeromexico and

15 ground fatalities
14 Historical View of Accidents
15

General

General 17

Balloons

Gliders

Rotorcraft - Turbine

Rotorcraft - Reciprocating

All rotorcraft

Airplanes - Turbojet

Airplanes - Turboprop

Airplanes - Multiple reciprocating

Airplanes - Single reciprocating

All airplanes

All operations

Total

Fatal 

Accidents by Aircraft Type

411 2,054

382 1,840

297 1,602

66177

14 46

5 19

23 152

8 87

15 65

2 36

2 20

Balloons

Gliders

Rotorcraft - Turbine

Rotorcraft - Reciprocating

All rotorcraft

Airplanes - Turbojet

Airplanes - Turboprop

Airplanes - Multiple reciprocating

Airplanes - Single reciprocating

All airplanes

All operations

17.82 1.78

1.24 22.29

4.07 0.95

26.29 2.42

1.21 7.93

1.49 0.39

4.24 1.29

8.54 3.18

10.09 1.86

9.06 1.87

8.71 1.73

Total Rate

Fatal Rate

Accident Rates by Aircraft Type

Chart 4. Number of accidents, fatal accidents, (top) and

accident rates, fatal rates per 100,000 aircraft hours flown

(bottom), 1995. (See Charts 28 through 37 in the appendix.)
18 General

Hours flown Accidents

Destroyed aircraft

26%

40%

(Percentage of accident-involved aircraft that were

destroyed.)

17%

32%

Fatally injured pilots

(Percentage of accident-involved

pilots who were fatally injured.)

Amateur-Built Aircraft

1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

6.0 5.6 6.1

7.4

5.9 6.6 7.2 7.6 7.4

9.1 9.0 9.2

10.2

Chart 6. The percentage of general aviation accidents that involved amateur-built aircraft,

1983 through 1995.

Chart 5. Highlights regarding amateur-built aircraft involved in accidents, 1995.

Amateur-built aircraft accounted for 2% of the

aircraft hours flown in general aviation flying in 1995 . . . . . . . . but made up 10% of the accidents.

Amateur-built aircraft involved in accidents were

destroyed 54% more often than were

manufactured aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and pilots were killed 88% more often.
General 19

Fatal

Serious

Minor

Uninjured

(2,233)

(726)

(387)

(559)

Aircraft Occupant Injuries

Chart 7. Severity of injuries sustained by the

3,905 occupants of accident-involved aircraft,

1995.
20 General

Type of Accident As First Occurrence, All

Chart 8. Number and percentage of accident-involved aircraft by type of accident as a

first occurrence, 1995.

Type of accident as a

first occurrence

Number of

aircraft

Percent of

aircraft

Collision, in-flight: (See Charts 12 and 13) 361 17.4

Midair collision between aircraft 29 1.4

Collision with object 155 7.5

Collision with terrain or water 134 6.4

Dragged wing, rotor, pod, float, or tail/skid 13 .6

Undershoot 30 1.4

Noncollision, in-flight: 482 23.2

Near collision between aircraft 0 0

Encounter with weather 93 4.5

Encounter with vortex turbulence 3 .1

Loss of control 272 13.1

Uncontrolled altitude deviation 0 0

Abrupt maneuver 4 .2

Airframe, component, system failure, malfunction 106 5.1

Decompression 0 0

Ditching 2 .1

Forced landing 2 .1

Collision, on-ground or on-water: 106 5.1

Collision between aircraft 15 .7

Collision with object 47 2.3

Encounter with terrain or water 38 1.8

Dragged wing, rotor, pod, float, or tail/skid 6 .3

Noncollision, on-ground or on-water: 422 20.3

Near collision between aircraft 0 0

Encounter with weather 3 .1

Loss of control 206 9.9

Nose down 1 0

Nose over 28 1.3

Rollover 6 .3

Propeller blast or jet exhaust/suction 2 .1

Propeller/rotor contact to person 6 .3

Hard landing 96 4.6

Overrun 74 3.6

Power-related accident 616 29.6

Engine tearaway 0 0

Propeller failure or malfunction 6 .3

Rotor failure or malfunction 3 .1

Loss of engine power— (See Charts 14 and 15) 161 7.7

Total loss from mechanical failure or malfunction 134 6.4

(continued)
General 21

Type of Accident As First Occurrence, All

Chart 8. Number and percentage of accident-involved aircraft by type of accident as a

first occurrence, 1995.

Type of accident as a

first occurrence

Number of

aircraft

Percent of

aircraft

(continued)

Partial loss from mechanical failure or malfunction 55 2.6

Total loss from nonmechanical failure or malfunction 216 10.4

Partial loss from nonmechanical failure or malfunction 41 2.0

Landing gear-related accident: 42 2.02

Gear collapsed 10 .5

Main gear collapsed 9 .4

Nose gear collapsed 6 .3

Tail gear collapsed 1 0

Complete gear collapsed 0 0

Other gear collapsed 0 0

Gear not extended 2 .1

Gear not retracted 0 0

Gear retraction on ground 2 .1

Wheels-up landing 10 .5

Wheels-down landing in water 2 .1

Miscellaneous accident: 40 1.9

Cargo shift 1 0

Fire 18 .9

Explosion 0 0

Fire/explosion 2 .1

Hazardous materials leak/spill (fumes/smoke) 0 0

Miscellaneous/other 19 .9

First occurrence not determined: 9 .4

Undetermined 3 .1

Aircraft missing (not located or not recoverable) 6 .3

Number of aircraft 2,078
22 General

Type of Accident As First Occurrence, Fatal

Chart 9. Number and percentage of fatal accident-involved aircraft by type of

accident as a first occurrence, 1995.

Type of fatal accident as a

first occurrence

Number of

aircraft

Percent of

aircraft

Collision, in-flight: (See Charts 12 and 13) 132 31.5

Midair collision between aircraft 16 3.8

Collision with object 45 10.7

Collision with terrain or water 67 16.0

Undershoot 4 1.0

Noncollision, in-flight: 183 43.7

Encounter with weather 48 11.5

Loss of control 115 27.4

Abrupt maneuver 4 1.0

Airframe, component, system failure, malfunction 16 3.8

Noncollision, on-ground or on-water: 11 2.6

Loss of control 1 .2

Nose over 1 .2

Propeller/rotor contact to person 2 .5

Hard landing 4 1.0

Overrun 3 .7

Power-related accident: 81 19.3

Propeller failure or malfunction 3 .7

Loss of engine power— (See Charts 14 and 15) 24 5.7

Total loss from mechanical failure or malfunction 14 3.3

Partial loss from mechanical failure or malfunction 12 2.7

Total loss from nonmechanical failure or malfunction 25 6.0

Partial loss from nonmechanical failure or malfunction 3 .7

Miscellaneous accident: 5 1.2

Fire 1 .2

Miscellaneous/other 4 1.0

First occurrence not determined: 7 1.7

Undetermined 1 .2

Aircraft missing (not located or not recoverable) 6 1.4

Number of aircraft 419
General 23

Other phase

Standing

Taxi

Landing

Approach

Descent

Maneuvering

Cruise

Climb

Takeoff

20 15

2 29

0 49

10 470

302 83

65 18

309 125

336 85

53 21

445 60

Total

Fatal

Chart 10. A breakdown of the 2,078 total and 419 fatal accident-involved

aircraft by first phase of operation, 1995.

Phase of Operation
24 General

Other person

Aircraft

Environment

Pilot

189

190

630

613.4

861

864.8

1,626

1,633.8

1995

1991-95 (mean)

General Causes or Contributing Factors in Accidents

Other person

Aircraft

Environment

Pilot

48

43.4

86

84.4

165

165.2

363

362.8

1995

1991-95 (mean)

General Causes or Contributing Factors in Fatal Accidents

Chart 11. General causes or contributing factors cited for accidentinvolved aircraft (top) and fatal accident-involved aircraft (bottom),

1995 and 1991 through 1995. (Multiple causes and factors may be cited

in an accident.) In 1995, there were 2,078 accident-involved aircraft and

419 fatal accident-involved aircraft; for 1991 to 1995, the mean was

2,090 accident-involved aircraft and 425.2 fatal accident-involved

aircraft.
General 25

In-flight Collision as First Occurrence

Chart 12. Number of aircraft involved in a first occurrence in-flight collision,

by the object struck, 1995.

Object struck

Number of nonfatal and

fatal occurrences

Number of

fatal occurrences

Aircraft parked/standing 1 0

Aircraft (other) 29 16

Airport sign/marker 2 0

Antenna 1 1

Bird(s) 1 0

Building (nonresidential) 4 2

Fence 8 0

Hangar/airport building 1 0

Pole 8 4

Sign 1 0

Terrain 177 71

Tower 3 2

Tree(s) 66 15

VASI light/system 1 0

Wall/barricade 1 0

Wire(s) 56 24

Other phase

Maneuvering

Approach or landing

Cruise or descent

Takeoff or climb

6 7

114 50

135 40

40 26

65 10

Total

Fatal

Chart 13. Aircraft involved in 361 total and 132 fatal first

occurrence in-flight collisions, 1995.

Number by Phase of Operation
26 General

Undetermined

Aircraft

(Builder) 

(Maintenance)

(Pilot)

Human Performance

121 15

255 34

8

1

55 9

258 32

321 43

Total

Fatal

Causes or Contributing Factors, Loss of Engine Power

Chart 14. Causes or contributing factors in 598 accident-involved

aircraft with loss of engine power as a first ocurrence, 1995. (Multiple

causes and factors may be cited in an accident.)

Unknown

Maneuvering

Approach or landing

Cruise or descent

Takeoff or climb

4

3

68

7

90

8

257

29

178

30

Total

Fatal

Phase of Operation, Loss of Engine Power

Chart 15. First phase of operation for the 598 aircraft that

experienced loss of engine power, 1995.
27

Aircraft

Operations

Aircraft Operations 29

Instructional

Aerial Application

Corporate/Executive

Personal and Business

Business

Personal

268 23

153

15

15

5

1,381 309

99

32

1,284 278

Total

Fatal

Purpose of Flight

Instructional

Aerial Application

Corporate/Executive

Personal and Business

7.07

0.61

11.34

1.11

0.50

0.17

11.10

2.47

Total rate

Fatal rate

Accident Rates by Purpose of Flight

Chart 16. Number of accidents, fatal accidents (top) and accident rates,

fatal accident rates per 100,000 aircraft hours flown (bottom), 1995.

(See Charts 37 through 42 in the appendix for data source.) (Note that

the accident rate is presented as a combination of personal flying and

business flying until exposure data is available which divide flying hours

between the two categories.)
30 Aircraft Operations

Local Point-to-Point

Enroute

At destination

At origin

At airport

Within 1 mile

1 to 5 miles Beyond 5 miles

Type of Flight

IFR (178)

VFR (177)

None (748)

(263) (343)

(497)

Local Point-to-Point

(417)

(479)

(72) (7)

(975) (1,103)

Chart 17. Type of flight for the total 2,078 accident-involved

aircraft, and the type of flight plan filed for the 1,103 point-topoint flights, 1995.

Chart 18. Accident location for the 975 aircraft on a local flight and 1,103 on a

point-to-point flight, 1995.

Flight Plan Filed
31

Accident

Environment

Accident Environment 33

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Fatal

Nonfatal

Month of the Accident

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Fatal

Nonfatal

Chart 19. Number of accident-involved aircraft by the month (top) and day of

week (bottom) the accident occurred, 1995.

Day of the Accident
34 Accident Environment

Injuries to Onboard Occupants

Chart 20. Number of accident-involved aircraft and the injuries to onboard occupants

by location, 1995.

Number of accident-involved

aircraft

Number of injured occupants aboard

aircraft

Location Fatal accidents Total Fatally injured Seriously injured Total

Alabama 6 42 10 10 65

Alaska 16 143 30 13 280

Arizona 14 72 32 10 128

Arkansas 10 57 21 6 99

California 51 232 83 33 401

Colorado 13 69 23 13 133

Connecticut 1 10 1 7 23

Delaware 0 1 0 0 1

Florida 27 122 52 21 238

Georgia 11 41 19 4 67

Hawaii 4 11 8 1 19

Idaho 4 32 8 5 55

Illinois 9 38 11 12 64

Indiana 3 32 4 8 76

Iowa 3 11 4 3 20

Kansas 6 33 9 4 61

Kentucky 3 7 4 0 14

Louisiana 3 19 3 2 25

Maine 2 11 4 0 17

Maryland 3 24 5 4 45

Massachusetts 5 22 7 5 39

Michigan 9 54 9 8 102

Minnesota 4 30 7 5 58

Mississippi 5 35 10 2 54

Missouri 6 38 11 13 74

Montana 3 24 5 1 40

Nebraska 3 14 3 5 24

Nevada 3 17 6 2 34

New Hampshire 0 6 0 0 10

New Jersey 5 22 5 5 31

New Mexico 7 38 14 8 103

New York 12 50 13 12 86

North Carolina 6 36 9 9 59

North Dakota 2 16 3 2 29

Ohio 12 51 17 9 101

(continued)
Accident Environment 35

Injuries to Onboard Occupants

Chart 20. Number of accident-involved aircraft and the injuries to onboard occupants

by location, 1995.

Number of accident-involved

aircraft

Number of injured occupants aboard

aircraft

Location Fatal accidents Total Fatally injured Seriously injured Total

(continued)

Oklahoma 8 39 18 3 71

Oregon 11 54 17 9 90

Pennsylvania 8 51 12 17 81

Rhode Island 1 5 4 0 14

South Carolina 11 31 16 5 49

South Dakota 2 12 5 6 30

Tennessee 9 36 13 18 69

Texas 30 148 51 34 280

Utah 6 22 12 0 46

Vermont 5 12 10 1 22

Virginia 10 31 25 7 60

Washington 16 68 26 15 131

West Virginia 2 3 3 2 6

Wisconsin 8 41 15 19 87

Wyoming 6 14 9 2 34

Atlantic Ocean 1 2 1 0 2

Gulf of Mexico 0 2 0 0 2

Pacific Ocean 0 1 0 0 2

Canada 1 1 1 0 1

Mexico 2 6 3 0 8

Puerto Rico 2 4 7 3 12

Guam 0 1 0 0 2

Caribbean 0 1 0 0 2

Other foreign 8 32 26 4 127

Unknown 1 1 2 0 2

Total 419 2,078 726 387 3,905
36 Accident Environment

VMC

IMC

Not reported

VMC

IMC

Not reported

Weather Conditions

(159)

(1,901)

(18)

Accidents Fatal Accidents

(296)

(108)

(15)

Chart 21. Accident and fatal accident flights flown in visual meteorlogical conditions (VMC)

and instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), 1995.

IMC

Daylight

Dusk or dawn Night

Not reported

Daylight

Dusk or dawn

Night

Not reported

VMC

Chart 22. Accident-involved aircraft by weather and light conditions when the

accident occurred, 1995.

(4)

(99)

(47)

(9)

(62)

(1,675)

(135)

(29)
Accident Environment 37

Weather as a Cause/Factor

Chart 23. Number of accident-involved aircraft in which weather was cited as a cause or

contributing factor, by weather condition, 1995.

Weather condition

Number in nonfatal

accidents

Number in fatal

accidents Total

Below approach/landing minimums 1 2 3

Carburetor icing conditions 27 1 28

Clouds 2 14 16

Crosswind 85 5 90

Downdraft 27 3 30

Drizzle 0 1 1

Dust devil/whirlwind 2 1 3

Fog 11 34 45

Freezing rain 0 1 1

Gusts 69 5 74

Haze/smoke 4 3 7

High density altitude 22 3 25

High wind 16 2 18

Icing conditions 11 14 25

Lightning 0 1 1

Low ceiling 12 47 59

Microburst/dry 1 0 1

Microburst/wet 0 1 1

Mountain wave 1 1 2

No thermal lift 4 0 4

Obscuration 3 5 8

Rain 8 3 11

Sand/dust storm 0 1 1

Snow 4 13 17

Sudden windshift 11 0 11

Tailwind 44 6 50

Temparature (low) 1 1 2

Temperature (high) 3 0 3

Thunderstorm 5 8 13

Thunderstorm (outflow) 2 1 3

Turbulence 9 4 13

Turbulence (thunderstorms) 0 1 1

Turbulence (terrain induced) 3 3 6

(continued)
38 Accident Environment

Weather as a Cause/Factor

Chart 23. Number of accident-involved aircraft in which weather was cited as a cause or

contributing factor, by weather condition, 1995.

Weather condition

Number in nonfatal

accidents

Number in fatal

accidents Total

(continued)

Unfavorable wind 18 2 20

Variable wind 6 0 6

Whiteout 2 0 2

Windshear 8 0 8

Number involving weather 317 (19%) 109 (26%) 426 ( 21%)

Number of aircraft 1,659 419 2,078
39

Pilot Information

Pilot Information 41

Student

Private

Commercial

ATP

Other

Non-rated Instrument rated

Pilot Certificate Instrument Rating

(private and commercial)

(882) (769) (901)

(750)

(231)

(54) (142)

Chart 24. The highest certificates held by the 2,078 accident-involved pilots and

the instrument ratings for 1,651 private and commercial certificate holders only.

"Other" includes none, unknown, military, and foreign; ATP=airline transport

pilot.
42 Pilot Information

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1 10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000

Hours

Flight Time

Time in Type Total Time

Chart 25. The total hours and hours in aircraft type for the 2,012

pilots whose flight times were reported, 1995. (Note that the hours are

graphed on a logarithmic scale.)
Pilot Information 43

15-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+ unk

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Ages

23

245

420

532

425

276

108

49

15-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+ unk

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Ages

2

43

80

101

91

63

27

12

Chart 26. Age group of the 2,078 accident-involved pilots (top) and the 419

fatal accident-involved pilots (bottom), 1995.

Pilot Age - All Fatal Accidents

Pilot Age - All Accidents
44

By the National Transportation Safety Board

James E. Hall John A. Hammerschmidt

Chairman Member

Robert T. Francis II John Goglia

Vice Chairman Member

George W. Black, Jr.

Member

Adopted: September 4, 1998
45

Appendix

Appendix 47

 All Operations

Chart 27. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, all operations, 1975 through

1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 3,995 633 1,252 1,231 28.799 13.87 (2) 2.19 (2)

1976 4,018 658 1,216 1,203 30.476 13.17 (4) 2.16 (1)

1977 4,079 661 1,276 1,265 31.578 12.91 (1) 2.09 (1)

1978 4,216 719 1,556 1,398 34.887 12.08 (2) 2.06 (2)

1979 3,818 631 1,221 1,203 38.641 9.88 1.63

1980 3,590 618 1,239 1,230 36.402 9.86 (1) 1.69 (1)

1981 3,500 654 1,282 1,261 36.803 9.51 1.78

1982 3,233 591 1,187 1,170 29.640 10.90 (3) 1.99

1983 3,078 556 1,069 1,062 28.673 10.73 (1) 1.94

1984 3,017 545 1,042 1,021 29.099 10.36 (3) 1.87 (2)

1985 2,739 498 955 944 28.322 9.66 (3) 1.75 (2)

1986 2,582 474 967 878 27.073 9.54 1.75

1987 2,495 447 838 823 26.972 9.25 (1) 1.65 (1)

1988 2,385 460 800 792 27.446 8.69 (1) 1.68

1989 2,232 431 768 765 27.920 7.98 (5) 1.53 (4)

1990 2,215 442 766 761 28.510 7.77 (1) 1.55

1991 2,175 432 786 772 27.226 7.98 (3) 1.58 (2)

1992 2,073 446 857 855 23.792 8.71 (1) 1.87 (1)

1993 2,039 398 736 732 22.531 9.05 (1) 1.76 (1)

1994 1,994 404 730 723 21.873 9.11 (2) 1.84 (2)

1995 2,054 411 733 726 23.538 8.71 (4) 1.73 (3)

a The numbers in parentheses are the number of accidents that involved suicide or sabotage, which are excluded from the total

and fatal accident rates.
48 Appendix

 All Airplanes

Chart 28. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, all airplanes, 1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 3,644 609 1,216 1,193 28.393 12.83 (1) 2.14 (1)

1976 3,695 624 1,168 1,154 29.202 12.64 (4) 2.13 (1)

1977 3,745 632 1,240 1,230 30.166 12.41 (1) 2.09 (1)

1978 3,850 670 1,487 1,335 33.162 11.60 (2) 2.01 (2)

1979 3,477 592 1,155 1,142 36.760 9.46 1.61

1980 3,233 569 1,168 1,162 34.145 9.47 (1) 1.66 (1)

1981 3,161 610 1,208 1,190 34.113 9.27 1.79

1982 2,886 540 1,106 1,095 27.780 10.38 (2) 1.94

1983 2,736 505 997 992 26.709 10.24 (1) 1.89

1984 2,703 498 972 953 27.297 9.89 (3) 1.82 (2)

1985 2,466 455 897 888 26.364 9.34 (3) 1.72 (2)

1986 2,301 427 903 807 25.149 9.15 1.70

1987 2,250 412 787 771 25.306 8.89 (1) 1.62 (1)

1988 2,131 427 760 752 25.069 8.50 (1) 1.70

1989 1,999 396 718 714 25.855 7.71 (5) 1.52 (4)

1990 1,955 408 725 721 26.606 7.34 (1) 1.53

1991 1,945 395 729 722 24.681 7.87 (3) 1.59 (2)

1992 1,833 395 774 772 21.809 8.40 (1) 1.81 (1)

1993 1,827 364 679 674 19.936 9.16 (1) 1.82 (1)

1994 1,738 354 651 645 19.193 9.05 (1) 1.84 (1)

1995 1,840 382 688 681 20.272 9.06 (3) 1.87 (3)

a The numbers in parentheses are the number of accidents that involved suicide or sabotage, which are excluded from the total

and fatal accident rates.
Appendix 49

 Airplanes With A Single Reciprocating Engine

Chart 29. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, airplanes with a single

reciprocating engine, 1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 3,305 514 972 949 22.881 14.44 (1) 2.24 (1)

1976 3,319 510 899 887 23.442 14.15 (2) 2.17 (1)

1977 3,383 542 996 987 23.798 14.21 (1) 2.27 (1)

1978 3,440 544 1,150 997 26.556 12.95 (2) 2.04 (2)

1979 3,071 471 869 856 29.128 10.54 1.62

1980 2,854 459 876 864 26.876 10.62 (1) 1.70 (1)

1981 2,819 496 918 906 26.347 10.70 1.88

1982 2,459 456 863 848 21.412 11.48 (1) 2.13

1983 2,449 421 780 772 20.470 11.96 (1) 2.06

1984 2,395 406 767 750 20.988 11.40 (3) 1.92 (2)

1985 2,180 368 677 667 20.317 10.72 (2) 1.81 (1)

1986 2,061 359 715 625 19.333 10.66 1.86

1987 2,017 348 632 614 19.635 10.27 (1) 1.77 (1)

1988 1,941 346 597 592 19.607 9.89 (1) 1.76

1989 1,813 339 592 586 19.867 9.11 (4) 1.69 (4)

1990 1,756 351 599 594 21.310 8.24 (1) 1.65

1991 1,749 329 568 561 19.857 8.79 (3) 1.65 (2)

1992 1,628 324 565 559 17.496 9.30 (1) 1.85 (1)

1993 1,613 301 514 504 15.884 10.15 (1) 1.89 (1)

1994 1,539 281 494 491 15.236 10.09 (1) 1.84 (1)

1995 1,602 297 493 489 15.840 10.09(3) 1.86 (3)

a The numbers in parentheses are the number of accidents that involved suicide or sabotage, which are excluded from the total

and fatal accident rates.
50 Appendix

Airplanes with Multiple Reciprocating Engines

Chart 30. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, airplanes with multiple

reciprocating engines, 1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 312 84 208 208 3.918 7.96 2.14

1976 346 103 238 231 4.085 8.42 (2) 2.52

1977 324 73 173 166 4.320 7.50 1.69

1978 367 112 295 292 4.496 8.16 2.49

1979 358 108 258 247 5.098 7.02 2.12

1980 330 99 262 256 4.491 7.35 2.20

1981 289 94 220 218 4.833 5.98 1.94

1982 343 88 254 247 3.709 9.22 (1) 2.37

1983 245 74 193 188 3.533 6.94 2.09

1984 260 76 168 166 3.552 7.32 2.14

1985 231 68 164 160 3.362 6.84 (1) 1.99 (1)

1986 190 54 122 121 3.230 5.88 1.67

1987 196 51 124 118 3.124 6.27 1.63

1988 162 67 134 129 2.780 5.83 2.41

1989 145 42 91 90 3.030 4.75 (1) 1.39

1990 144 35 78 77 2.812 5.12 1.24

1991 156 49 110 108 2.849 5.47 1.72

1992 141 49 130 130 2.307 6.11 2.12

1993 161 46 115 114 2.000 8.05 2.30

1994 138 55 125 122 1.932 7.14 2.85

1995 177 66 161 159 2.073 8.54 3.18

a The numbers in parentheses are the number of accidents that involved suicide or sabotage, which are excluded from the total

and fatal accident rates.
Appendix 51

Turboprop Airplanes

Chart 31. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, turboprop airplanes, 1975

through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flown

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 16 10 35 35 0.900 1.78 1.11

1976 22 8 19 18 0.901 2.44 0.89

1977 29 14 61 59 1.093 2.65 1.28

1978 28 11 32 31 1.056 2.65 1.04

1979 42 14 31 30 1.375 3.05 1.02

1980 41 11 38 35 1.524 2.69 0.72

1981 49 17 61 48 1.606 3.05 1.06

1982 37 9 37 33 1.396 2.65 0.64

1983 33 11 27 26 1.345 2.45 0.82

1984 38 11 22 22 1.556 2.44 0.71

1985 46 17 55 51 1.310 3.51 1.30

1986 31 12 57 51 1.242 2.50 0.97

1987 33 10 28 27 1.300 2.54 0.77

1988 24 10 19 19 1.311 1.83 0.76

1989 35 15 37 34 1.638 2.14 0.92

1990 38 13 29 28 1.226 3.10 1.06

1991 35 11 22 21 0.929 3.76 1.18

1992 55 20 74 72 1.071 5.13 1.87

1993 48 16 46 45 1.010 4.75 1.58

1994 45 13 25 25 0.898 5.00 1.44

1995 46 14 19 18 1.085 4.24 1.29
52 Appendix

Turbojet Airplanes

Chart 32. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, turbojet airplanes, 1975 through

1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flown

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 13 1 1 1 0.687 1.89 0.15

1976 13 5 19 18 0.752 1.73 0.66

1977 13 5 18 18 0.943 1.38 0.53

1978 20 5 17 15 1.061 1.89 0.47

1979 13 3 9 9 1.120 1.16 0.27

1980 12 3 7 7 1.244 0.96 0.24

1981 7 4 17 17 1.318 0.53 0.30

1982 9 1 4 4 1.242 0.72 0.08

1983 13 3 8 6 1.338 0.97 0.22

1984 13 5 15 15 1.200 1.08 0.42

1985 16 5 15 10 1.375 1.16 0.36

1986 13 3 10 10 1.344 0.97 0.22

1987 10 6 12 12 1.248 0.80 0.48

1988 8 5 12 12 1.371 0.58 0.36

1989 9 2 4 4 1.320 0.68 0.15

1990 18 10 22 22 1.259 1.43 0.79

1991 10 7 32 32 1.045 0.96 0.67

1992 11 3 11 11 0.988 1.10 0.30

1993 9 3 11 11 1.041 0.86 0.29

1994 16 5 7 7 1.127 1.42 0.44

1995 19 5 15 15 1.273 1.49 0.39
Appendix 53

All Rotorcraft

Chart 33. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, all rotorcraft, 1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 264 18 30 28 0.974 27.10 1.85

1976 248 25 38 38 1.103 22.48 2.27

1977 246 22 28 25 1.170 21.03 1.88

1978 283 39 56 48 1.397 20.26 2.79

1979 265 33 56 51 1.522 17.41 2.17

1980 261 40 60 57 1.891 13.80 2.12

1981 257 30 55 52 2.303 11.16 1.30

1982 255 41 66 62 1.500 16.93 (1) 2.73

1983 234 35 55 53 1.575 14.86 2.22

1984 224 38 61 59 1.474 15.20 2.58

1985 205 36 50 47 1.576 13.01 2.28

1986 190 39 81 59 1.560 12.18 2.50

1987 179 28 44 44 1.282 13.97 2.18

1988 180 21 27 27 1.809 9.95 1.16

1989 187 30 44 41 1.693 11.05 1.77

1990 194 25 28 27 1.573 12.33 1.59

1991 170 30 51 44 2.091 8.13 1.43

1992 178 41 72 72 1.574 11.31 2.60

1993 162 33 53 50 1.526 10.62 2.16

1994 190 43 67 65 1.554 12.23 2.77

1995 152 23 38 38 1.903 7.93 (1) 1.21

a The numbers in parentheses are the number of accidents that involved suicide or sabotage, which are excluded from the total

and fatal accident rates.
54 Appendix

Rotorcraft with Reciprocating Engine(s)

Chart 34. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, rotorcraft with reciprocating

engine(s), 1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 217 12 16 16 0.623 34.83 1.93

1976 209 17 24 24 0.680 30.74 2.50

1977 190 14 17 17 0.571 33.27 2.45

1978 223 28 40 33 0.766 29.11 3.66

1979 185 20 30 25 0.859 21.54 2.33

1980 181 22 25 24 0.719 25.17 3.06

1981 178 21 32 29 0.878 20.27 2.39

1982 157 20 24 24 0.525 29.72 (1) 3.81

1983 139 18 22 22 0.522 26.65 3.45

1984 128 22 29 28 0.532 24.04 4.13

1985 118 12 14 13 0.514 22.94 2.33

1986 118 21 24 22 0.728 16.20 2.88

1987 117 18 25 25 0.597 19.60 3.02

1988 118 17 21 21 0.527 22.38 3.22

1989 121 14 18 17 0.673 17.97 2.08

1990 134 16 19 19 0.715 18.74 2.24

1991 125 19 23 23 0.581 21.50 3.27

1992 120 22 31 31 0.389 30.85 5.66

1993 102 19 30 27 0.363 28.07 5.23

1994 106 21 26 25 0.335 31.64 6.27

1995 87 8 11 11 0.331 26.29 2.42

a The numbers in parentheses are the number of accidents that involved suicide or sabotage, which are excluded from the total

and fatal accident rates.
Appendix 55

Rotorcraft with Turbine Engine(s)

Chart 35. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, rotorcraft with turbine engine(s),

1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 47 6 14 12 0.351 13.39 1.71

1976 39 8 14 14 0.423 9.22 1.89

1977 56 8 11 8 0.599 9.35 1.34

1978 60 11 16 15 0.631 9.51 1.74

1979 80 13 26 26 0.663 12.07 1.96

1980 80 18 35 33 1.172 6.83 1.54

1981 79 9 23 23 1.424 5.55 0.63

1982 98 21 42 38 0.978 10.02 2.15

1983 95 17 33 31 1.053 9.02 1.61

1984 96 16 32 31 0.941 10.20 1.70

1985 87 24 36 34 1.062 8.19 2.26

1986 72 18 57 37 0.832 8.66 2.16

1987 62 10 19 19 0.684 9.06 1.46

1988 62 4 6 6 1.282 4.84 0.31

1989 66 16 26 24 1.000 6.60 1.60

1990 61 9 9 8 0.858 7.11 1.05

1991 45 11 28 21 1.510 2.98 0.73

1992 58 19 41 41 1.185 4.89 1.60

1993 60 14 23 23 1.162 5.16 1.20

1994 84 22 41 40 1.219 6.89 1.80

1995 65 15 27 27 1.573 4.07 (1) 0.95

a The numbers in parentheses are the number of accidents that involved suicide or sabotage, which are excluded from the total

and fatal accident rates.
56 Appendix

Gliders

Chart 36. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, gliders, 1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flown

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 82 7 11 9 — — —

1976 64 8 9 8 — — —

1977 78 7 8 8 — — —

1978 66 10 14 10 — — —

1979 55 3 3 3 — — —

1980 62 7 7 7 — — —

1981 59 12 13 13 — — —

1982 51 6 6 5 — — —

1983 69 11 11 11 — — —

1984 54 10 10 9 — — —

1985 43 5 6 6 — — —

1986 68 9 10 10 — — —

1987 36 4 4 4 — — —

1988 45 12 13 13 — — —

1989 26 3 3 3 — — —

1990 40 5 5 5 — — —

1991 42 5 5 5 — — —

1992 44 8 8 8 — — —

1993 28 0 0 0 0.140 2.00 .00

1994 38 5 5 5 0.240 15.79 2.08

1995 36 2 2 2 0.161 22.29 1.24

— Data not available.
Appendix 57

Balloons

Chart 37. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, balloons, 1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flown

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 8 1 1 1 — — —

1976 13 3 6 6 — — —

1977 12 1 2 2 — — —

1978 19 1 3 3 — — —

1979 21 3 7 7 — — —

1980 34 2 4 4 — — —

1981 23 2 6 6 — — —

1982 29 2 7 7 — — —

1983 29 2 3 3 — — —

1984 33 0 0 0 — — —

1985 24 1 1 1 — — —

1986 23 1 2 2 — — —

1987 27 3 3 3 — — —

1988 25 0 0 0 — — —

1989 21 3 6 6 — — —

1990 26 4 8 8 — — —

1991 16 2 2 0 — — —

1992 15 2 3 3 — — —

1993 21 2 8 8 0.104 20.09 1.91

1994 19 0 0 0 0.960 19.72 .00

1995 20 2 3 3 0.112 17.82 1.78

— Data not available.
58 Appendix

Personal and Business Flying

Chart 38. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, personal and business flying,

1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 2,545 478 995 981 15.832 16.06 (2) 3.01 (2)

1976 2,629 490 950 933 16.850 15.58 (3) 2.90 (1)

1977 2,579 487 973 963 16.727 15.42 2.91

1978 2,656 522 1,066 1,055 19.322 13.74 (2) 2.69 (2)

1979 2,461 470 932 917 20.638 11.92 2.28

1980 2,285 450 924 915 19.374 11.79 (1) 2.32 (1)

1981 2,220 456 892 883 18.323 12.12 2.49

1982 2,194 471 979 965 13.850 15.8.4 3.4.0

1983 2,166 450 889 884 13.299 16.29 3.38

1984 2,158 442 870 865 13.863 15.54 (3) 3.17 (2)

1985 2,001 391 762 751 13.783 14.50 (2) 2.83 (1)

1986 1,834 387 821 722 14.768 12.42 2.62

1987 1,772 351 669 665 15.237 11.62 (1) 2.30 (1)

1988 1,678 373 673 665 14.609 11.49 2.55

1989 1,514 315 595 586 13.867 10.89 (4) 2.24 (4)

1990 1,502 330 577 570 13.691 10.96 (1) 2.41

1991 1,499 339 617 613 13.824 10.84 2.45

1992 1,449 350 661 655 12.128 11.94 (1) 2.88 (1)

1993 1,386 287 536 530 11.275 12.28 (1) 2.54 (1)

1994 1,296 288 534 523 11.172 11.59 (1) 2.57 (1)

1995 1,381 309 556 548 12.412 11.10 (3) 2.47 (3)

a The numbers in parentheses are the number of accidents that involved suicide or sabotage, which are excluded from the total

and fatal accident rates.
Appendix 59

Personal Flying

Chart 39. Number of accidents and fatalities,

personal flying, 1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

1975 2,228 414 875 861

1976 2,334 428 844 829

1977 2,280 437 889 874

1978 2,376 460 957 946

1979 2,206 414 820 807

1980 2,040 389 808 799

1981 1,958 383 749 738

1982 1,906 398 826 809

1983 1,893 398 775 770

1984 1,909 365 711 704

1985 1,741 327 642 635

1986 1,640 328 682 589

1987 1,590 303 566 564

1988 1,507 324 585 577

1989 1,366 274 509 501

1990 1,354 290 492 497

1991 1,353 292 536 532

1992 1,352 322 609 603

1993 1,274 258 476 466

1994 1,184 258 474 463

1995 1,284 278 488 476
60 Appendix

Business

Chart 40. Number of accidents and fatalities,

business flying, 1975 through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

1975 318 64 120 120

1976 298 62 106 104

1977 302 53 95 89

1978 281 62 109 109

1979 255 56 112 110

1980 246 62 126 116

1981 264 74 145 145

1982 292 74 157 156

1983 276 52 114 114

1984 251 78 161 161

1985 261 64 120 116

1986 194 59 139 133

1987 184 49 107 101

1988 172 49 88 88

1989 149 42 90 85

1990 149 40 80 78

1991 146 47 81 81

1992 97 28 52 52

1993 115 30 65 64

1994 114 30 60 60

1995 99 32 73 72
Appendix 61

Corporate/Executive Flying

Chart 41. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, corporate/executive flying, 1975

through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flown

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 63 17 44 44 3.262 1.93 0.52

1976 56 14 42 38 3.396 1.65 0.41

1977 59 18 51 49 3.501 1.69 0.51

1978 88 24 70 67 4.898 1.80 0.49

1979 78 15 57 51 5.022 1.55 0.30

1980 96 21 66 63 5.351 1.79 0.39

1981 84 30 99 99 6.209 1.35 0.48

1982 39 6 21 20 4.589 0.85 0.13

1983 39 6 23 23 4.829 0.81 0.12

1984 25 4 8 8 4.396 0.57 0.09

1985 37 13 37 32 3.856 0.96 0.34

1986 20 3 11 11 3.491 0.57 0.09

1987 19 4 10 7 3.143 0.60 0.13

1988 10 2 3 3 3.472 0.29 0.06

1989 11 4 15 15 3.453 0.32 0.12

1990 14 5 21 21 2.913 0.48 0.17

1991 12 5 24 19 2.614 0.46 0.19

1992 15 4 13 12 2.262 0.66 0.18

1993 15 4 13 13 2.705 0.55 0.15

1994 8 3 5 5 2.511 0.32 0.12

1995 15 5 15 15 3.006 0.50 0.17
62 Appendix

Aerial Application Flying

Chart 42. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, aerial application flying, 1975

through 1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 432 34 35 35 1.876 23.03 1.81

1976 434 40 44 42 2.136 20.27 (1) 1.87

1977 455 31 35 34 2.072 21.96 1.50

1978 457 28 28 27 2.082 21.95 1.34

1979 395 27 27 25 2.393 16.51 1.13

1980 363 25 32 28 2.063 17.60 1.21

1981 378 30 36 34 2.466 15.33 1.22

1982 272 17 18 15 1.882 14.45 0.90

1983 254 15 15 15 1.623 15.65 0.92

1984 245 20 21 20 1.849 13.25 1.08

1985 167 9 9 9 2.002 8.34 0.45

1986 193 19 22 20 1.833 10.53 1.04

1987 175 11 11 10 1.539 11.37 0.71

1988 170 12 13 13 1.842 9.23 0.65

1989 157 24 25 24 1.868 8.40 1.28

1990 152 16 17 17 1.872 8.12 0.85

1991 158 13 13 12 1.909 8.28 0.68

1992 142 9 9 9 1.296 10.96 0.69

1993 142 14 14 14 1.143 12.42 1.22

1994 153 17 17 17 1.192 12.84 1.43

1995 153 15 15 14 1.349 11.34 1.11

a The numbers in parentheses are the number of accidents that involved suicide or sabotage, which are excluded from the total and

fatal accident rates.
Appendix 63

Instructional Flying

Chart 43. Number of accidents, fatalities, and accident rates, instructional flying, 1975 through

1995.

Number of fatalities

Accident rate per 100,000

aircraft hours flowna

Year

Number of

accidents

Number of

fatal accidents

All

fatalities

Aircraft

occupants

Aircraft hours

flown (millions)

All

accidents

Fatal

accidents

1975 587 43 77 60 5.882 9.98 0.73

1976 541 55 97 87 6.102 8.87 0.90

1977 572 48 68 64 7.646 7.48 0.63

1978 604 62 243 92 6.322 9.55 0.98

1979 516 39 59 51 8.144 6.34 0.48

1980 461 41 73 70 7.315 6.30 0.56

1981 428 40 70 63 7.104 6.02 0.56

1982 411 22 38 36 4.535 9.04 (1) 0.49

1983 379 26 41 40 4.482 8.46 0.58

1984 354 25 54 37 4.193 8.44 0.60

1985 314 27 52 40 3.938 7.97 0.69

1986 317 23 41 37 4.319 7.34 0.53

1987 342 33 72 61 4.529 7.55 0.73

1988 336 32 49 47 4.917 6.81 (1) 0.65

1989 306 28 50 43 5.993 5.11 0.47

1990 315 33 62 56 7.243 4.35 0.46

1991 339 31 63 52 6.134 5.53 0.51

1992 271 29 49 46 5.340 5.07 0.54

1993 286 27 50 48 4.351 6.57 0.62

1994 301 23 47 39 4.095 7.35 0.56

1995 268 23 44 40 3.788 7.07 0.61