The Lemon Index
Photos: Photographs by Radosław Drożdżewski (User:Zwiadowca21) (Wikimedia Commons)
57accidents
16%were fatal
15deaths
7%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of control on ground21%
Hard landing9%
Loss of control in flight7%
Loss of engine power (partial)7%
Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)5%
Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail5%
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 30 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the landing gear system.
When. Phase of flight.
Landing40%
Enroute14%
Maneuvering11%
Approach9%
Takeoff9%
Accidents per year.
20082
20096
20102
20112
20121
20131
20141
20152
20163
20174
20184
20194
20203
20214
20224
20239
20242
20253
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