The Lemon Index
Photos: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK (Wikimedia Commons)
106accidents
31%were fatal
75deaths
21%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of control in flight17%
Landing gear not configured16%
Landing gear collapse7%
Runway excursion6%
Landing area overshoot5%
Hard landing4%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
31%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
69%people or weather only
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
Out of 78 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the landing gear system.
When. Phase of flight.
Landing49%
Enroute16%
Approach14%
Takeoff10%
Maneuvering4%
Accidents per year.
20083
20093
20108
20116
20129
20137
20145
20155
20164
20175
201813
201911
20203
20213
20224
20232
202410
20255
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