Safety Statistics
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) views its most important responsibility as advancing business aviation safety and fostering development of industry safety best practices. Thanks to ongoing commitments to safe operating practices by NBAA and the professionals involved in business flying, the industry has achieved a level of safety comparable to that for the commercial airlines.
One measure of the industry's safety record can be found in the accident data made available each year by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB's data is divided into two categories – “corporate” and “business” operations (which are designations from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that mostly relate to crew requirements, but are not related to the type of business involved).
For example, FAA, flights under a “corporate” designation are those in which the aircraft is flown by a two-person, professional crew. For these types of operations, the NTSB's fatal accident rate in 2007 is 0.034 per 100,000 hours – which is nearly identical to that of the scheduled air carriers (0.005 per 100,000 hours). For flights conducted under the “business” category, in which a two-person professional crew is not required, the NTSB's fatal accident rate is .16 per 100,000 hours.
The following numbers illustrate the historical record for business aviation safety.
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT RATES, 1990–2008 (per 100,000 flight hours)
Date |
General Aviation* Total/Fatal |
Air Taxi** Total/Fatal |
Commuter Air Carriers+ Total/Fatal |
Airlines++ Total/Fatal |
Corporate |
Business Total/Fatal |
| 1995 | 8.21 / 1.63 | 3.02 / 0.97 | 0.457 / 0.076 | 0.267 / 0.022 | 0.250 / 0.110 | 2.04 / 0.67 |
| 1996 | 7.65 / 1.45 | 2.80 / 0.90 | 0.399 / 0.036 | 0.276 / 0.036 | 0.140 / 0.060 | 1.71 / 0.34 |
| 1997 | 7.19/ 1.36 | 2.65 / 0.48 | ***1.628 / 0.509 | 0.309 / 0.025 | 0.230 / 0.060 | 1.41 / 0.39 |
| 1998 | 7.44 / 1.41 | 2.03 / 0.45 | 2.262 / 0.000 | 0.297 / 0.006 | 0.091 / 0.000 | 1.14 / 0.30 |
| 1999 | 6.50 / 1.16 | 2.28 / 0.37 | 3.793 / 1.145 | 0.291 / 0.011 | 0.230 / 0.130 | 1.40 / 0.40 |
| 2000 | 6.57 / 1.21; | 2.04 / 0.56 | 3.247 / 0.271 | 0.306 / 0.016 | 0.125 / 0.060 | 1.28 / 0.37 |
| 2001 | 6.78 / 1.27 | 2.40 / 0.60 | 2.330 / 0.666 | 0.236 / 0.011 | 0.108 / 0.031 | 1.06 / 0.23 |
| 2002 | 6.69 / 1.33 | 2.06 / 0.62 | 2.559 / 0.000 | 0.237 / 0.000 | 0.166 / 0.029 | 1.08 / 0.36 |
| 2003 | 6.77 / 1.37 | 2.56 / 0.61 | 0.627 / 0.313 | 0.310 / 0.011 | 0.028 / 0.014 | 0.95 / 0.26 |
| 2004 | 6.41/1.25 | 2.10/0.74 | 1.515/0.000 | 0.159/0.011 | 0.093/0.013 | 0.91/0.23 |
| 2005 | 6.78/1.32 | 2.02/0.34 | 2.000/0.000 | 0.200/0.015 | 0.075/0.013 | 0.73/0.14 |
| 2006 | 6.64/1.32 | 1.50/0.28 | 1.071/0.357 | 0.158/0.10 | 0.141/0.011 | 0.76/0.27 |
| 2007 | 6.84/1.19 | 1.69/0.38 | 0.993/0.000 | 0.135/0.005 | 0.103/0.034 | 0.72/0.16 |
| 2008 | 7.11/1.25 | 1.52/0.52 | 2.410/0.000 | 0.145/0.013 | 0.075/0.000+++ | 1.27/0.16 |
* All U.S. registered civil aircraft not operating under FAR Part 121 or 135
** FAR Part 135 nonscheduled air carriers
+ FAR Part 135 scheduled air carriers
++ FAR Part 121 scheduled and nonscheduled air carriers
# Aircraft owned or leased and operated by a corporation or business firm for the transportation of personnel or cargo in furtherance of the corporation’s or firm’s business and which are flown by professional pilots receiving a direct salary or compensation for piloting.
## The use of aircraft by pilots (those not receiving direct salary or compensation for piloting) in conjunction with their occupation or in the furtherance of a business.
*** Increased due to Part 135 scheduled carriers re-certifying under FAR Part 121.
+++ NTSB accident data for the corporate/executive fleet in 2008 does not agree with Robert E. Breiling Associates data. Several accidents are missing from NTSB data in comparison to Breiling data.
