The Lemon Index
Photos: James from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Wikimedia Commons)
98accidents
20%were fatal
45deaths
15%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of engine power (total)9%
Ground collision7%
Loss of control on ground5%
Abnormal runway contact5%
Hard landing5%
Loss of control in flight4%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
27%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
73%people or weather only
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
Out of 62 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the engine (turbine/turboprop).
When. Phase of flight.
Enroute22%
Landing18%
Taxi15%
Approach14%
Takeoff8%
Accidents per year.
20087
20093
20102
20115
20126
20135
20144
20156
20167
20178
20182
20197
20206
20217
202210
20232
20245
20256
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