The Lemon Index
Photos: Aeroprints.com (Wikimedia Commons)
218accidents
5%were fatal
17deaths
4%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of control on ground54%
Loss of control in flight8%
Nose over/nose down6%
Hard landing3%
Aerodynamic stall/spin2%
Collision during takeoff/land2%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
10%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
90%people or weather only
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
Out of 154 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the landing gear system.
When. Phase of flight.
Landing57%
Takeoff18%
Approach7%
Initial climb6%
Enroute5%
Accidents per year.
20088
200916
201014
201110
201211
201319
201413
201515
20168
201715
201810
20198
202014
202112
202211
20238
202414
202512
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