The Lemon Index
Photos: Robbie Klinkenberg (Wikimedia Commons)
68accidents
1%were fatal
3deaths
3%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Turbulence encounter26%
Tailstrike15%
Ground collision7%
Hard landing6%
Pushback/tow-engine not oper Ground handling event4%
Abnormal runway contact4%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
12%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
88%people or weather only
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
Out of 43 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the oxygen system.
When. Phase of flight.
Enroute40%
Landing25%
Other12%
Standing9%
Taxi7%
Accidents per year.
20083
20093
20103
201110
20121
20132
20145
20154
20162
20174
20187
20195
20202
20212
20222
20234
20247
20252
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