The Lemon IndexPlanes · Single-engine piston
Cessna 182 Skylane.
Every U.S. accident NTSB investigated, 2008 to 2025.
Photos: Robbie Klinkenberg (Wikimedia Commons)
724accidents
15%were fatal
190deaths
9%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of control on ground12%
Loss of control in flight9%
Hard landing9%
Loss of engine power (total)7%
Abnormal runway contact5%
Fuel exhaustion4%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
18%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
82%people or weather only
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
Out of 514 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the engine (reciprocating).
When. Phase of flight.
Landing37%
Enroute21%
Approach11%
Takeoff10%
Maneuvering7%
Accidents per year.
200842
200950
201045
201158
201239
201338
201434
201546
201648
201742
201843
201932
202034
202134
202236
202328
202434
202541
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