The Lemon Index
Photos: Calistemon (Wikimedia Commons)
268accidents
11%were fatal
36deaths
5%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of control in flight21%
Autorotation Hard landing8%
Hard landing7%
Dynamic rollover7%
Low altitude operation/event6%
Miscellaneous/other4%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
17%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
83%people or weather only
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
Out of 218 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the engine controls.
When. Phase of flight.
Maneuvering37%
Landing18%
Other14%
Enroute9%
Approach7%
Accidents per year.
200821
200932
201018
201122
201224
201311
201415
201515
201611
201721
201815
201914
20208
20218
202212
20239
20249
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