Interesting Facts
The odds that any single person will be involved in a plane crash are about one-in-twenty thousand. However, more than fifteen thousand Americans will be involved in at least some type of aviation accident during their lifetime. If you have been involved in a place accident, notify a personal injury lawyer or place crash attorney.
Approximately 80 percent of all plane crashes occur shortly before, after, or during takeoff or landing. While mid-flight disasters happen, they are rare.
An accident survey of 1,843 aircraft accidents (excluding military, private and charter aircraft) from 1950 through 2006 determined the causes were:
- 53%: Pilot error
- 21%: Mechanical failure
- 11%: Weather
- 8%: Other human error (air traffic controller error, improper loading of aircraft, improper maintenance, fuel contamination, language miscommunication etc.)
- 6%: Sabotage (bombs, hijackings, shoot-downs)
- 1%: Other causes
Causes of Fatal Accidents by Decade (percentage)
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The table above is compiled from the PlaneCrashInfo.com accident database and represents 1,300 fatal accidents involving commercial aircraft, world-wide, from 1950 thru 2009 for which a specific cause is known. Aircraft with 10 or less people aboard, military aircraft, private aircraft and helicopters are not included.
“Pilot error (weather related)” represents accidents in which pilot error was the cause but brought about by weather related phenomena. “Pilot error (mechanical related)” represents accidents in which pilot error was the cause but brought about by some type of mechanical failure. “Other human error” includes air traffic controller errors, improper loading of aircraft, fuel contamination and improper maintenance procedures. Sabotage includes explosive devices, shoot downs and hijackings. “Total pilot error” is the total of all three types of pilot error (in yellow). Where there were multiple causes, the most prominent cause was used. (Source: PlaneCrashInfo.com database)
Which type of flying is safer
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Sources: NTSB Accidents and Accident Rates by NTSB Classification 1998-2007
Odds of being involved in a fatal accident
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Odds of being on an airline flight which results in at least one fatality |
Odds of being killed on a single airline flight |
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Top 25 airlines with the best accident rates |
Top 25 airlines with the best accident rates |
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Bottom 25 with the worst accident rates |
Bottom 25 with the worst accident rates |
Source: OAG Aviation & PlaneCrashInfo.com accident database, 1985 – 2009
Survival rate of passengers on aircraft involved in fatal accidents
carrying 10+ passengers
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Survival rate of passengers on aircraft ditching during controlled flight |
53% |
Source: PlaneCrashInfo.com accident database
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