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Table 2-9: U.S. Air CarrieraSafety Data

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Total fatalities 499 261 146 124 1 526 39 b50 33 1 239 168 380 8 1 12 92
Total seriously injured persons N N 107 81 19 30 29 26 R22 R19 31 25 77 R43 R30 R58 27
Total accidents 90 83 55 37 19 21 24 26 18 23 23 36 R37 49 50 52 57
Fatal accidents 17 9 8 3 1 7 6 4 4 1 4 3 5 4 1 2 3
Aircraft-miles (millions) 1,130 1,536 2,685 2,478 2,924 3,631 4,948 4,825 5,039 5,249 5,478 5,654 5,873 R6,697 R6,737 R7,102 7,521
Rates per 100 million aircraft-miles                                  
Fatalities 44.159 16.992 5.438 5.004 0.034 14.486 0.788 1.036 0.655 R0.019 4.363 2.971 6.470 R0.119 0.015 R0.169 1.223
Seriously injured persons N N 3.985 3.269 0.650 0.826 0.586 0.539 R0.437 R0.362 0.566 0.442 1.311 R0.642 R0.445 R0.817 0.359
Total accidents 7.965 5.404 2.048 1.493 0.650 0.578 0.485 0.539 0.357 0.438 0.420 0.637 R0.630 R0.732 R0.742 R0.732 0.758
Fatal accidents 1.504 0.586 0.298 0.121 0.034 R0.193 R0.121 0.083 0.079 0.019 0.073 0.053 0.085 0.060 0.015 R0.028 0.040
Aircraft departures (thousands) N N N N 5,479 6,307 8,092 7,815 7,881 8,073 8,238 8,457 8,229 R10,318 R10,980 R11,309 11,437
Rates per 100,000 aircraft departures                                  
Fatalities N N N N 0.018 8.340 0.482 0.640 0.419 R0.012 2.901 1.987 4.618 0.078 R0.009 R0.106 0.804
Seriously injured persons N N N N 0.347 0.476 0.358 0.333 R0.279 R0.235 0.376 0.296 0.936 R0.417 R0.273 R0.513 0.236
Total accidents N N N N 0.347 0.333 0.297 0.333 0.228 0.285 0.279 0.426 R0.450 R0.475 R0.455 R0.460 0.498
Fatal accidents N N N N 0.018 0.111 0.074 0.051 0.051 0.012 0.049 0.035 0.061 R0.049 R0.012 R0.024 0.036
Flight hours (thousands) N 4,691 6,470 5,607 7,067 8,710 12,150 11,781 12,360 12,706 13,124 13,505 13,746 15,838 R16,813 R17,555 18,295
Rates per 100,000 flight hours                                  
Fatalities N 5.564 2.257 2.212 0.014 6.039 0.321 0.424 0.267 R0.008 1.821 1.244 2.764 R0.051 R0.006 R0.068 0.503
Seriously injured persons N N 1.654 1.445 0.269 0.344 0.239 0.221 R0.178 R0.150 0.236 0.185 0.560 R0.271 R0.178 R0.330 0.148
Total accidents N 1.769 0.850 0.660 0.269 0.241 0.198 0.221 0.146 0.181 0.175 0.267 R0.269 0.309 R0.316 R0.328 0.360
Fatal accidents N 0.192 0.124 0.054 0.014 0.080 0.049 0.034 0.032 R0.008 0.030 0.022 0.036 0.025 R0.006 R0.013 0.019

KEY: N = data do not exist; R = revised.

a Air carriers operating under 14 CFR 121, scheduled and nonscheduled service. Includes all scheduled and nonscheduled service accidents involving all-cargo carriers and commercial operators of large aircraft when those accidents occurred during 14 CFR 121 operations. Since Mar. 20, 1997, 14 CFR 121 includes aircraft with 10 or more seats formerly operated under 14 CFR 135. This change makes it difficult to compare pre-1997 data for 14 CFR 121 and 14 CFR 135 with more recent data.

b Does not include the 12 persons killed aboard a SkyWest commuter aircraft when it and a U.S. Air aircraft collided.

NOTES: Miles, departures, and flight hours are compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration. Rates are computed by dividing the number of fatalities, serious injuries, total accidents, and fatal accidents by the number of miles, departures, or flight hours. These figures are based on information provided by airlines to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information.

SOURCES:

Fatalities, accidents, miles, departures, and flight hours:

1960: National Transportation Safety Board, Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data: U.S. Air Carrier Operations, Calendar Year 1967 (Washington, DC: December 1968).

1965-70: Ibid., Calendar Year 1975, NTSB/ARC-77/1 (Washington, DC: January 1977).

1975 (all categories except miles): Ibid., Calendar Year 1983, NTSB/ARC-87/01 (Washington, DC: February 1987), table 18.

1975 (miles): Ibid., Calendar Year 1975, NTSB/ARC-77/1 (Washington, DC: January 1977 ).         

1980: Ibid., Calendar Year 1981, NTSB/ARC-85/01 (Washington, DC: February 1985), tables 2 and 16.

1985-2000: National Transportation Safety Board, Internet site www.ntsb.gov/aviation/Table5.htm, as of May 8, 2002.

Serious injuries:

1970-94: Ibid., Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data: U.S. Air Carrier Operations (Washington, DC: Annual issues).

1995-2000: Ibid., Analysis and Data Division, personal communications, Aug. 8, 1996; 1997; Mar. 10, 1999; Mar. 28, 2000, and May 7, 2002.