NTSB Abstract - Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data

Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data
U.S. Air Carrier Operations, Calendar Year 1996

NTSB Number ARC/99-01
NTIS Number PB99-156374
PDF Document (615K)

Abstract: This report presents a statistical compilation and review of air carrier accidents that occurred in 1996, and involved U.S. registered aircraft conducting operations under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 121 and 135. Briefly stated, Part 121 applies to air carriers, such as major airlines and cargo haulers, that fly large transport aircraft. Part 135 applies to commercial air carriers commonly referred to as commuter airlines and to air taxis. For a complete definition of operations under each of these Parts, consult the applicable sections of the CFR.

The report is divided into three major sections: 14 CFR 121 Operations; Scheduled 14 CFR 135 Operations; and Nonscheduled 14 CFR 135 Operations. Each section begins with an overview of accidents and their consequences (injuries and aircraft damage) for 1996 and for the 10 preceding years. Several tables then present accident parameters for 1996 only. Each section concludes with tabulations that present comparative statistics for 1996 and for the 10-year period 1986-1995.

Exposure data (flight hours, miles, and departures) used to compute accident rates for operations under Part 121 and for scheduled operations under Part 135 were obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which compiled data reported by carriers to the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Flight hours for nonscheduled operations under Part 135 were obtained by the FAA in its surveys of general aviation activity. National Transportation Safety Board Report Form 6120.4 (Appendix F) shows the data elements upon which this report is based.

In many of the tables presented in this report (such as table 4), the number of accidents in a given category is small. In these tables, even a small change in the number of accidents would result in a substantial change in the accident rate. Therefore, the reader should exercise caution in the use of these rates and in comparing numbers and percentages of accidents between two time periods when the number of accidents is small.