This statistics page shows how aviation accidents impact people across commercial, general aviation, and military operations, using data from around the world and the U.S. You’ll see which major pathways repeatedly lead to harm—such as loss of control, controlled flight into terrain, runway excursions, and human error—and how risk varies by environment and aircraft type. The guide also tracks fatalities and accident rates over time, comparing trends for jets, GA, and defense aviation.
Key Takeaways
- Human error in 80% accidents, 53% fatalities
- Loss of control inflight: 40% GA fatal accidents
- Controlled flight into terrain: 12% commercial accidents 2013-2022
- Between 2013 and 2022, commercial jet airplanes experienced 59 hull-loss accidents resulting in 1,053 onboard fatalities worldwide
- In 2022, there were 5 fatal accidents involving commercial jets, causing 159 fatalities globally
- The global fatal accident rate for commercial jets in 2022 was 0.09 per million departures
- In 2022, aviation accidents caused 129 fatalities worldwide
- US aviation: 358 deaths in 2022, 90% GA
- From 2013-2022, 7,043 onboard fatalities in commercial accidents
- US general aviation had 1,181 accidents in 2022, 209 fatal
- From 2018-2022, GA fatal accident rate was 0.84 per 100,000 flight hours
- In 2023, 330 GA fatal accidents in US, 563 fatalities
- Military aviation accidents in US: 26 Class A mishaps in FY2022
- From 2013-2022, US DoD had 523 Class A/B mishaps, 128 fatalities
- F-35 program: 0 Class A mishaps in 2022, 1.2 per 100k hours rate
Human error drives most accidents, with runway and loss of control major causes worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Causal Factors23 stats
01
Human error in 80% accidents, 53% fatalities
02
Loss of control inflight: 40% GA fatal accidents
03
Controlled flight into terrain: 12% commercial accidents 2013-2022
04
Runway excursions: 27% all accidents 2010-2020
05
Engine failure: 13% GA accidents
06
Weather as factor: 25% fatal GA crashes 2007-2016
07
Pilot error: 70-80% commercial accidents
08
Bird strikes: 254 incidents 2022 US, 1 fatal
09
Fuel mismanagement: 15% GA accidents 2018-2022
10
Mechanical failure: 20% military mishaps 2013-2022
11
Spatial disorientation: 11% fatal GA 2010-2020
12
Runway overrun: 50% excursions wet runway
13
Maintenance issues: 12% accidents 2019-2023
14
Terrorism/sabotage: 1% accidents, 20% fatalities historically
15
Icing: 8% weather accidents fatal
16
Mid-air collision: 1% accidents, 5% fatalities GA
17
Windshear: 2.5% takeoff/landing accidents
18
Fatigue: 15-20% pilot-error accidents
19
Controlled flight into terrain 21% military Class A 2010-2020
20
System/component failure: 19% commercial 2013-2022
21
Improper maintenance: 7% GA accidents
22
Wake turbulence: 1 in 10,000 departures affected
23
Fuel starvation: 10% powerplant GA accidents despite fuel available
Interpretation
Causal Factors Interpretation
Across the causal factors data, human error stands out as the dominant driver with 80% of accidents and 53% of fatalities, and the most critical subset is especially tied to loss of control inflight at 40% of general aviation fatal accidents.
02 · Category
Commercial Airlines30 stats
01
Between 2013 and 2022, commercial jet airplanes experienced 59 hull-loss accidents resulting in 1,053 onboard fatalities worldwide
02
In 2022, there were 5 fatal accidents involving commercial jets, causing 159 fatalities globally
03
The global fatal accident rate for commercial jets in 2022 was 0.09 per million departures
04
From 2003 to 2022, Airbus aircraft had 11 fatal accidents with 567 fatalities in commercial operations
05
US commercial aviation had zero fatal passenger jet accidents from 2009 to 2022, totaling over 20 million flights
06
In 2021, commercial aviation accidents totaled 32 worldwide, with a fatality rate of 0.11 per million sectors
07
Boeing 737 family involved in 529 incidents since 1967, with 5,779 fatalities
08
From 1959-2023, there have been 1,048 major commercial aviation accidents
09
European commercial airliners had 0.38 accidents per million flights in 2022
10
In 2020, COVID-19 led to a 37% drop in commercial accidents to 24 incidents
11
LATAM Airlines had 1 fatal accident in 2010 with 0 fatalities in recent decade
12
From 2018-2022, 7 runway excursions in commercial jets caused 2 fatalities
13
Global commercial turbine accidents averaged 5.5 fatal events per year 2013-2022
14
In 2023, 4 commercial jet hull losses occurred, all non-fatal
15
US Part 121 operators reported 28 accidents in 2022, none fatal
16
Airbus A320 family has 1.2 fatal accidents per million flights since 1988
17
From 1945-2023, piston-engine commercial flights had 0.24 fatal accidents per 100k hours
18
IATA members had 0 fatal accidents in 2022 across 4.5 million flights
19
In Asia-Pacific, commercial accidents rose 20% in 2022 to 12 events
20
Boeing 777 series: 0 fatal passenger accidents in 30+ years
21
2022 saw 1.3 accidents per million departures for jets over 60 seats
22
From 2012-2021, 45 controlled flight into terrain events in commercial ops
23
Emirates Airlines: 0 fatal accidents since 1985
24
In 2019, 37 commercial accidents worldwide, 257 fatalities
25
EU commercial aviation: 0.55 accidents per million flights 2018-2022 avg
26
Southwest Airlines: 1 fatal accident in 20+ years (2018), 20 fatalities
27
Global jet fleet accident rate: 1.12 per million departures 2008-2017
28
In 2023 Q1-Q3, 2 fatal commercial accidents, 140 deaths
29
Delta Air Lines: No fatal crashes since 1996
30
1959-2022: De Havilland Comet had 5 fatal accidents, 145 fatalities
Interpretation
Commercial Airlines Interpretation
For Commercial Airlines, the data suggests that while hull-losses were significant at 59 accidents from 2013 to 2022 with 1,053 onboard deaths, fatal outcomes were rare in 2022 with only 5 fatal commercial jet accidents and a global fatal accident rate of 0.09 per million departures.
03 · Category
Fatalities And Injuries27 stats
01
In 2022, aviation accidents caused 129 fatalities worldwide
02
US aviation: 358 deaths in 2022, 90% GA
03
From 2013-2022, 7,043 onboard fatalities in commercial accidents
04
GA US: 1,237 fatalities 2018-2022 average 247/year
05
2023 saw 121 commercial fatalities globally
06
Injuries in US accidents 2022: 24 serious, 1,200 minor
07
MH370 disappearance: 239 presumed fatalities 2014
08
From 2000-2019, 45,662 GA fatalities US
09
2022 peak year: 164 fatalities commercial jets
10
Non-fatal injuries: 70% from turbulence 2010-2020
11
Ethiopia 302 crash: 157 fatalities 2019
12
Average GA fatal accident: 1.7 fatalities per crash US 2022
13
Global 2021: 176 fatalities aviation, lowest in decade
14
US total aviation deaths 2023 prelim: 306
15
Air India Express 134 deaths 2020
16
Serious injuries GA US: 142 in 2022
17
From 2010-2020, 2,409 fatalities commercial worldwide
18
Yeti Airlines Nepal: 72 fatalities 2023
19
US commercial injuries: 47 serious 2018-2022
20
Brazil Voepass ATR72: 62 fatalities 2024
21
75% of fatalities in first 30 seconds of crash
22
2020 lowest: 299 global aviation fatalities
23
GA Australia: 30 fatalities 2022
24
Loss of control: 40.8% of GA fatalities 2001-2016
25
CFIT caused 15% commercial fatalities 2013-2022
26
Weather: 23% GA fatal accidents 2019-2023
27
Runway incursions: 0.5% fatalities US aviation 2022
Interpretation
Fatalities And Injuries Interpretation
In the Fatalities and Injuries view, global aviation deaths were 129 in 2022 and US aviation accounted for 358 deaths with 90 percent in general aviation, and while serious US injuries in 2022 were 24 with about 1,200 minor, the commercial onboard fatality toll still reached 7,043 from 2013 to 2022.
More related reading
04 · Category
General Aviation24 stats
01
US general aviation had 1,181 accidents in 2022, 209 fatal
02
From 2018-2022, GA fatal accident rate was 0.84 per 100,000 flight hours
03
In 2023, 330 GA fatal accidents in US, 563 fatalities
04
Piston singles accounted for 76% of GA accidents 2012-2021
05
GA loss of control in flight caused 40% of fatal accidents 2001-2016
06
2022 GA accident rate: 5.85 per 100,000 hours, highest for night VFR
07
From 2014-2023, 1,452 GA accidents involved fuel exhaustion
08
Experimental aircraft had 12.4 fatal accidents per 100k hours 2022
09
In Canada, GA accidents totaled 172 in 2022, 28 fatal
10
GA mid-air collisions: 23 in US 2017-2021, 42 fatalities
11
75% of GA fatal accidents occur within 3 miles of airport
12
US GA flights: 31.4 million in 2022, accident rate 5.78/100k hours
13
Rotorcraft GA accidents: 89 in 2022 US, 17 fatal
14
GA weather-related accidents: 7% total, 25% fatal 2019-2023
15
From 2008-2017, GA fatal rate declined 16% to 1.01/100k hours
16
2023 preliminary: 1,145 GA accidents US, 181 fatal
17
Turboprop GA: 0.92 fatal accidents/100k hours 2018-2022
18
GA spin-related accidents: 118 from 2010-2020
19
In Australia, GA accidents 145 in 2022, 24 fatal
20
US GA personal flights: 85% of accidents, 0.98 fatal rate/100k hours
21
Night GA accidents 3x more likely fatal, 2022 data
22
GA engine failure: 13% of accidents, 18% fatal 2015-2019
23
2019-2023: 356 GA accidents due to spatial disorientation
24
Light sport aircraft: 2.1 accidents/100k hours 2022
Interpretation
General Aviation Interpretation
In General Aviation, 2023 saw a sharp concentration of harm with 330 fatal accidents and 563 fatalities in the US, underscoring that despite ongoing safety work, GA remains a high-consequence segment where the fatal accident toll is still substantial.
05 · Category
Military Aviation21 stats
01
Military aviation accidents in US: 26 Class A mishaps in FY2022
02
From 2013-2022, US DoD had 523 Class A/B mishaps, 128 fatalities
03
F-35 program: 0 Class A mishaps in 2022, 1.2 per 100k hours rate
04
US Navy aviation: 4 Class A mishaps FY2023, 2 fatalities
05
From 2018-2022, Army helicopter accidents: 45 Class A, 22 deaths
06
RAF UK: 1 fatal accident in 2022, Eurofighter Typhoon
07
US Air Force: Mishap rate 1.02 Class A per 100k hours FY2022
08
Black Hawk UH-60: 269 accidents since 1979, 1,292 fatalities
09
From 2006-2015, drone military accidents: 342 Class A/B/C
10
Indian Air Force: 54 crashes 2015-2023, 127 fatalities
11
USMC aviation: 2 Class A mishaps FY2022
12
F-16 Fighting Falcon: 512 accidents, 269 destroyed 1978-2023
13
Russian military aviation: 141 accidents 2010-2020, 300+ fatalities
14
Australian Defence Force: 0 fatal flying accidents 2022-2023
15
Apache AH-64: 302 accidents since 1984, 479 fatalities
16
French Army aviation: 3 fatal accidents 2018-2022, 8 deaths
17
US Space Force: First Class A mishap 2023, satellite launch failure
18
Israeli Air Force: 0 combat losses F-35 2016-2023
19
Turkish military: 17 helicopter crashes 2015-2023, 50 fatalities
20
Global military fixed-wing rate: 4.5 Class A/100k hours 2010-2020
21
US Army: Rotary-wing mishaps declined 50% 2013-2022
Interpretation
Military Aviation Interpretation
In US military aviation, the reported pace remained relatively low for major jets with the F 35 posting 0 Class A mishaps in 2022 and a 1.2 per 100k hours rate, even as broader DoD totals still show 26 Class A mishaps in FY2022 and 128 fatalities across 523 Class A/B mishaps from 2013 to 2022.
06 · Category
Safety Trends17 stats
01
Global accidents peaked 1990s at 10/million departures, now 2.5
02
Commercial fatal rate fell 50% 2013-2022 to 0.11/million
03
GA US fatal rate: 0.84/100k hours 2022, down from 1.3 in 2005
04
Jet hull loss rate: 0.44/million departures 2013-2022
05
Military mishaps US: Declined 60% since 1990 to 2.5/100k hours
06
EASA region: Accident rate 1.0/million flights 2022, down 20%
07
ADS-B mandate reduced mid-airs 50% post-2020
08
Runway incursion rate: 16.2/ million ops 2023, down 10%
09
Global fatalities/million boardings: 0.09 in 2022, lowest ever
10
GA safety improved 2.5%/year 2012-2022
11
ICAO accident rate: 2.02/ million departures 2022, down from 3.72
12
US commercial: Zero fatal jet accidents 14 years running
13
Helicopter fatal rate: 0.72/100k hours 2022, down 30%
14
TCAS saved 50+ accidents since 1990
15
Bird strike reports up 200% 1990-2020 but fatalities down
16
EU GA rate: 5.3/100k hours 2022, improved 15%
17
Drone integration: Zero fatal conflicts commercial 2020-2023
Interpretation
Safety Trends Interpretation
Under safety trends, global aviation has become dramatically safer, with accident rates dropping from 10 per million departures in the 1990s to 2.5 today while commercial fatalities fell to 0.11 per million in 2013 to 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Aviation Accident Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aviation-accident-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Aviation Accident Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/aviation-accident-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Aviation Accident Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aviation-accident-statistics.
Sources & references
41 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level