While the freedom of flight is an unparalleled experience, the sobering reality is that a simple lapse in pre-flight planning, such as running out of fuel which caused over 12% of recent small plane crashes, can turn a routine journey into a tragic statistic.
Key Takeaways
- Fuel exhaustion accounted for 12.5% of all small plane crashes in the US between 2018-2022, often due to inadequate pre-flight planning.
- Loss of control in flight represented 22% of fatal small plane accidents in 2021, primarily during takeoff or landing phases.
- Mechanical failure of the engine caused 8.7% of small plane incidents reported to NTSB from 2017-2021.
- In 2022, small plane crashes resulted in 356 fatalities out of 1,216 total accidents in the US.
- Fatal accident rate for small planes under 12,500 lbs was 0.98 per 100,000 flight hours in 2021.
- 72% of small plane crash fatalities occurred in accidents involving pilot error as primary cause in 2020.
- Texas recorded 22 small plane fatal crashes with 38 deaths in 2023.
- Florida had 31 small plane accidents, 7 fatal with 14 deaths in 2022.
- California saw 45 small plane crashes, including 9 fatal ones killing 19 in 2021.
- Small plane accidents decreased 4.2% from 1,289 in 2021 to 1,234 in 2022 in US.
- Fatal small plane crash rate dropped to 0.90 per 100,000 hours in 2023 from 1.05 in 2019.
- US small plane accidents peaked at 1,450 in 2018, declining 15% by 2023.
- 65% of small plane pilots in crashes 2022 had less than 500 total hours.
- 82% of fatal small plane accidents involved pilots aged 50+ in 2021 data.
- Medical certification lapses contributed to 7% of small plane crashes 2018-2022.
Small plane crashes most often involve pilot error and loss of control during takeoff or landing.
Causes
- Fuel exhaustion accounted for 12.5% of all small plane crashes in the US between 2018-2022, often due to inadequate pre-flight planning.
- Loss of control in flight represented 22% of fatal small plane accidents in 2021, primarily during takeoff or landing phases.
- Mechanical failure of the engine caused 8.7% of small plane incidents reported to NTSB from 2017-2021.
- Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) made up 15.3% of small plane fatalities in mountainous regions between 2015-2020.
- Icing conditions contributed to 4.2% of small plane crashes during winter months in the continental US from 2019-2023.
- Mid-air collisions accounted for 3.1% of small plane accidents near non-towered airports in 2022.
- Spatial disorientation led to 7.8% of night-time small plane crashes between 2016-2021.
- Runway excursions during landing caused 11.4% of non-fatal small plane incidents in 2020.
- Carburetor icing incidents rose by 18% in small planes under 4,000 lbs in humid conditions from 2018-2022.
- Propeller strikes on ground objects occurred in 5.6% of taxiing small plane mishaps at uncontrolled fields 2017-2021.
- VFR into IMC transitions caused 9.2% of fatal small plane crashes in 2023.
- Bird strikes contributed to 2.3% of small plane engine failures during climb-out phases 2019-2023.
- Gear-up landings due to pilot distraction accounted for 6.1% of retractable gear small plane accidents in 2021.
- Stall during maneuvering was responsible for 14.7% of aerobatic small plane crashes from 2015-2020.
- Overweight loading exceeded limits in 4.8% of small plane overload crashes investigated 2018-2022.
- Wire strikes during low-level flight caused 3.9% of agricultural small plane accidents 2017-2021.
- Engine power loss post-takeoff was 10.2% of small plane forced landings in 2022.
- Hypoxia-related errors in unpressurized small planes above 10,000 ft contributed to 1.7% of high-altitude crashes 2016-2020.
- Taxiway confusion at busy GA airports led to 4.5% of ground collision small plane incidents 2019-2023.
- Fuel contamination from water ingress caused 2.9% of small plane engine quits during cruise 2018-2022.
Causes Interpretation
The statistics paint a clear and grim portrait: the most common threat to a small plane isn't a freak mechanical event, but a series of preventable human decisions, from poor planning to overconfidence, that turn the sky from a playground into a courtroom.
Fatalities
- In 2022, small plane crashes resulted in 356 fatalities out of 1,216 total accidents in the US.
- Fatal accident rate for small planes under 12,500 lbs was 0.98 per 100,000 flight hours in 2021.
- 72% of small plane crash fatalities occurred in accidents involving pilot error as primary cause in 2020.
- Single-engine piston small planes had 181 fatal accidents with 298 deaths in 2023.
- 41% of small plane occupants killed in crashes from 2018-2022 were not wearing seatbelts.
- Night flying small plane crashes had a fatality rate 2.5 times higher than daytime in 2022 data.
- 19 small plane crashes in 2021 resulted in 32 child fatalities under age 18.
- Post-crash fires caused 15% of small plane fatalities in fuel-involved accidents 2017-2021.
- Cessna 172 series small planes saw 24 fatal crashes with 41 deaths in 2022.
- IFR-rated pilots in small planes had 0.84 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours vs 1.12 for VFR in 2020.
- 63% of small plane fatal crashes involved loss of control, averaging 1.7 fatalities per crash 2019-2023.
- Alaska small plane crashes had 4.2 fatalities per accident, highest in US for 2021.
- 28% of small plane fatalities from 2016-2020 were passengers, totaling 512 deaths.
- Piper PA-28 series recorded 19 fatal small plane crashes with 35 deaths in 2023.
- Small plane crashes in 2022 killed 0.84 pilots per 100,000 flight hours.
- 11% of small plane fatal accidents involved mid-air collisions, averaging 2.1 deaths each 2018-2022.
- Beechcraft Bonanza small planes had 12 fatal crashes resulting in 24 fatalities in 2021.
- Over 50% of small plane crash survivors in 2020 accidents suffered serious injuries due to impact forces.
- Cirrus SR22 small planes saw 8 fatal crashes with 15 deaths despite parachutes in 2022.
- 37% of small plane fatalities occurred during landing phases from 2017-2021.
Fatalities Interpretation
While the numbers reveal that small planes are statistically safer than your average freeway, they also deliver a stern, data-driven lecture: buckle up, train relentlessly, respect the night, and for heaven's sake, don't stop flying the airplane, because the moment you do, the statistics come alive.
Locations
- Texas recorded 22 small plane fatal crashes with 38 deaths in 2023.
- Florida had 31 small plane accidents, 7 fatal with 14 deaths in 2022.
- California saw 45 small plane crashes, including 9 fatal ones killing 19 in 2021.
- Alaska reported 52 small plane accidents per million flight hours, highest rate, 18 fatal in 2023.
- Georgia had 16 small plane fatal crashes with 27 deaths near Atlanta airports 2018-2022.
- Michigan lakes region saw 12 small plane water ditching fatalities in seaplane ops 2019-2023.
- Arizona desert areas had 14 small plane crashes due to heat/terrain, 9 fatal 2020-2023.
- New York state recorded 21 small plane accidents, 5 fatal with 11 deaths in 2022.
- Colorado mountains experienced 17 CFIT small plane crashes, 25 fatalities 2017-2021.
- Louisiana bayou areas saw 8 small plane crashes into swamps, 16 deaths 2018-2022.
- Washington state had 23 small plane accidents near Puget Sound, 6 fatal in 2023.
- Ohio farmlands reported 15 wire-strike small plane crashes, 10 fatal 2019-2023.
- Nevada near Las Vegas had 11 small plane crashes, 4 fatal with 9 deaths in 2021.
- Minnesota saw 19 small plane winter crashes, 12 fatal in northern areas 2020-2023.
- Pennsylvania Appalachians recorded 13 terrain collision small plane fatalities 2018-2022.
- Oregon coastal areas had 10 small plane off-shore ditchings, 18 deaths 2017-2021.
- Missouri rivers region saw 9 small plane water crashes, 14 fatalities 2019-2023.
Locations Interpretation
While each state’s skies tell a different, tragic story, the data collectively whispers a sobering truth: small plane safety is not a single enemy but a hydra of terrain, weather, and human factors that demands respect in every corner of the map.
Pilot Factors
- 65% of small plane pilots in crashes 2022 had less than 500 total hours.
- 82% of fatal small plane accidents involved pilots aged 50+ in 2021 data.
- Medical certification lapses contributed to 7% of small plane crashes 2018-2022.
- Distracted pilots (phone use) in 4.3% of recent small plane runway incursions 2023.
- 45% of small plane pilots in fatal crashes exceeded duty time limits in 2020.
- Rusty pilots (inactive >24 months) had 3x higher small plane accident rate 2019-2023.
- 29% of small plane crash pilots held instrument ratings but flew VFR into IMC.
- Female small plane pilots had 22% lower accident rate than males in 2022 stats.
- High-time pilots (>5,000 hrs) in small planes had 0.62 fatal rate vs 1.45 for low-time 2021.
- 51% of small plane accidents involved pilots not current on biennial flight review.
- Alcohol impairment detected in 2.1% of small plane fatal crash pilots 2017-2021.
- Student pilots in small planes had accident rate of 2.8 per 100,000 hours in 2023.
- 67% of small plane loss-of-control accidents linked to inadequate stall recovery training.
- Multi-engine small plane pilots averaged 1,200 hours, 18% fewer accidents than single-engine.
- 14% of small plane crashes involved pilots with recent checkride failures.
- CFIT accidents 78% involved pilots without terrain awareness training 2018-2022.
- Commercial small plane pilots had 0.51 accident rate vs private 1.23 per 100k hrs 2022.
- 36% of night small plane crashes due to pilots lacking night currency.
- ADS-B equipped small planes pilots reported 25% fewer mid-air near-misses 2023.
- Small plane pilots with WINGS credits had 42% lower accident involvement rate 2019-2023.
Pilot Factors Interpretation
The statistics paint a clear, if grim, portrait: the typical small plane accident often involves an older, under-experienced, or lapsed pilot who, whether due to rust, distraction, or a failure to respect limits and training, finds themselves tragically unprepared for the moment when the sky stops being forgiving.
Trends
- Small plane accidents decreased 4.2% from 1,289 in 2021 to 1,234 in 2022 in US.
- Fatal small plane crash rate dropped to 0.90 per 100,000 hours in 2023 from 1.05 in 2019.
- US small plane accidents peaked at 1,450 in 2018, declining 15% by 2023.
- Post-COVID, small plane flight hours rose 12% in 2022, accidents up 3%.
- Single-engine fixed-gear small planes accidents fell 7% from 2020-2023.
- Night small plane accidents increased 5.1% in 2022 due to training uptick.
- Fatalities in small plane crashes declined 22% from 448 in 2019 to 350 in 2023.
- Experimental amateur-built small planes had 28% fewer accidents in 2023 vs 2015.
- Turbine small planes under 12,500 lbs saw accident rate halve since 2010 to 0.45/100k hrs 2022.
- VFR small plane accidents rose 6% in summer months 2021-2023.
- Glass cockpit equipped small planes accidents dropped 11% from 2018-2022.
- Pandemic year 2020 saw 18% drop in small plane accidents due to low hours.
- Agricultural small plane crash rate fell 9% with ADS-B adoption by 2023.
- Pilot training hours correlated with 14% accident reduction in small planes 2017-2021.
- Small plane fatal accidents per million departures decreased 31% since 2000 to 1.12 in 2022.
- Cirrus small plane fleet accidents declined 40% with CAPS parachute use rising 2020-2023.
- Small plane accidents in Alaska dropped 12% after 2022 safety campaign.
- US small plane total accidents hit low of 1,180 in 2023, down from 1,400 avg 2010s.
Trends Interpretation
While the reassuring dip in overall small plane accidents to a 2023 low of 1,180 suggests the sky is becoming friendlier, the stubborn rise in night and summer VFR mishaps reminds us that progress, like a well-flown pattern, requires constant vigilance and no letting up on the controls.
Sources & References
- Reference 1NTSBntsb.govVisit source
- Reference 2FAAfaa.govVisit source
- Reference 3AVIATION-SAFETYaviation-safety.netVisit source
- Reference 4AOPAaopa.orgVisit source
- Reference 5SAFETYFIRSTsafetyfirst.airbus.comVisit source
- Reference 6EASAeasa.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 7WILDLIFEwildlife.faa.govVisit source
- Reference 8GAOgao.govVisit source
- Reference 9CIRRUSAIRCRAFTcirrusaircraft.comVisit source
- Reference 10EAAeaa.orgVisit source
- Reference 11FAASAFETYfaasafety.govVisit source