The Lemon Index
Photos: Alf van Beem (Wikimedia Commons)
365accidents
27%were fatal
163deaths
10%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of control in flight12%
Loss of engine power (total)11%
Loss of control on ground9%
Loss of engine power (partial)6%
Landing gear not configured4%
Aerodynamic stall/spin4%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
24%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
76%people or weather only
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
Out of 261 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the landing gear system.
When. Phase of flight.
Landing26%
Enroute20%
Initial climb15%
Approach15%
Takeoff13%
Accidents per year.
200826
200918
201016
201129
201231
201323
201419
201520
201618
201724
201818
201917
202018
202121
202221
202314
202418
202514
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