The Lemon Index
Photos: Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK (Wikimedia Commons)
124accidents
14%were fatal
23deaths
6%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of control on ground33%
Loss of control in flight14%
Aerodynamic stall/spin6%
Loss of engine power (partial)5%
Loss of engine power (total)5%
Fuel related5%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
15%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
85%people or weather only
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
Out of 86 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the landing gear system.
When. Phase of flight.
Landing38%
Takeoff19%
Enroute15%
Initial climb10%
Maneuvering10%
Accidents per year.
20085
200911
20108
201110
20129
20134
20147
201510
20167
20175
20187
20194
20204
20214
202215
20234
20242
20258
More planes flying means more accidents, so counts aren't a safety score by themselves. Compare the shares above.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, U.S. accidents 2008–2025. ntsb.gov · Every plane
Updated