The Lemon Index
Photos: Aeroprints.com (Wikimedia Commons)
170accidents
29%were fatal
65deaths
16%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of control in flight12%
Loss of control on ground11%
Loss of engine power (total)11%
Loss of engine power (partial)6%
Hard landing5%
Nose over/nose down4%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
34%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
66%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 landing gear system.
When. Phase of flight.
Landing29%
Enroute21%
Approach14%
Takeoff10%
Initial climb10%
Accidents per year.
20081
20090
20102
20113
20121
20132
20142
20153
20163
20174
201816
201928
202024
202120
202214
202316
202414
202517
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