January 25, 1996

AIRLINE FATALITIES IN 1995 DECLINED TO 175 PERSONS

Washington, DC -- Total fatalities from accidents involving all scheduled U.S. airlines fell last year to 175 persons from 264 in 1994. the National Transportation Safety Board reported today. It said that general aviation deaths rose in 1995 to 732 persons from 723 the year before.

Overall, the Safety Board's preliminary data showed that 1,040 persons lost their lives last year in 2,211 civil aviation accidents, either in the U.S., or involving U.S. registered aircraft.

Aside from the crash of an American Airlines B-757 in Colombia last December with 160 fatalities, the larger (Part 121, Federal Aviation Regulations) scheduled airlines experienced one other fatal accident. This involved a U.S. cargo plane that went off a runway in Guatemala, killing six persons.

The 1995 fatal accident rate per million miles flown for these large scheduled airlines declined to 0.0004 from 0.0008 the year before. Based on 100,000 departures, the fatal rate was 0.024, down from 0.050 in 1994.

Scheduled commuter or regional airline fatalities dropped to 9 persons from 25 in 1994 for the lowest level since 1990. The fatal accident rate fell both in terms of million miles flown to 0.003 from 0.005 in 1994, and from 0.083 to 0.057 in terms of 100,000 departures. It was the fourth consecutive annual decline in the fatal accident rates.

The Part 121 charter airlines, after five years without fatalities, had two deaths last year for a fatal accident rate per million miles flown of 0.0026, and 0.224 in terms of 100,000 departures.

On-demand air taxis, with a total of 76 accidents, had 52 fatalities, down from 63 in 1994. The accident rate per 100,000 hours dropped to 3.80 from 4.26 in 1994 and the fatal accident rate was 1.20, off from 1.30 the year earlier.

General aviation accidents totalled 2,066, up from 1,990, an historic low reached in 1994 after years of consecutive declines. Fatal accidents rose in 1995 to 408 from 402 the year before, and 398 in 1993. The accident rate per 100,000 hours flown rose to 10.33 from 9.09 in 1994, while the fatal accident rate advanced from 1.83 to 2.04.

Foreign aircraft had ten accidents last year in the U.S., one of them fatal, resulting in one death. There were four fatal accidents and 16 deaths in 1994.

The Safety Board defines an accident as an event that results in substantial damage to an aircraft or serious injury to a person. Statistical tables covering aircraft accident data for the past 14 years are on the Aviation Statistics page.

Media contact: Michael Benson
202 314-6100