Aviation Analytics · Accidents & safety · numbers as of October 29, 2026

When accidents happen

Across the NTSB's record from 2016 to 2026, landing and enroute are the phases of flight with the most cases; the fatal share is highest in uncontrolled descent.

Phase with the most cases: Landing (4,468 cases)
Of cases in cloud or poor visibility were fatal: 57% (against 14% in good weather)
Kind of flight with the most cases: Personal flight (62% of all)

Landing

phase with the most cases

4,468 cases

57%

of cases in cloud or poor visibility were fatal

against 14% in good weather

Personal flight

kind of flight with the most cases

62% of all

Phase of flight

Landing and takeoff are short but demanding; maneuvering means low flying, turns and aerobatics, which carry the highest fatal share. Every bar and number opens the cases behind it.

Landing4,468Enroute2,306Takeoff1,651Maneuvering1,563Approach1,514Initial climb1,230Taxi453Not recorded177Standing161Prior to flight59Emergency descent34Uncontrolled descent12

The table (15 rows)

Phase	Cases	Fatal	Share fatal
Landing	4468	82	2%
Enroute	2306	591	26%
Takeoff	1651	162	10%
Maneuvering	1563	552	35%
Approach	1514	356	24%
Initial climb	1230	347	28%
Taxi	453	5	1%
Not recorded	177	79	45%
Standing	161	9	6%
Prior to flight	59	5	8%
Emergency descent	34	11	32%
Uncontrolled descent	12	6	50%
Pushback/towing	5	0	0%
Pushback/tow	4	0	0%
After landing	1	0	0%

Kind of flight

The table (20 rows)

Kind of flight	Cases	Fatal	Share fatal
Personal flight	8498	1520	18%
Instructional flight	2013	182	9%
Not recorded	753	73	10%
Aerial application (crop spraying) flight	599	101	17%
Business flight	400	77	19%
Positioning flight	265	42	16%
Other work-use flight	205	35	17%
Flight test	200	35	18%
Aerial observation flight	186	41	22%
Ferry flight	66	11	17%
External-load flight	54	15	28%
Flight of an unrecorded kind	52	5	10%
Skydiving flight	51	11	22%
Air show or air race flight	47	13	28%
Executive or corporate flight	45	3	7%
Firefighting flight	35	13	37%
Public-use flight (federal)	34	4	12%
Banner-towing flight	32	6	19%
Public-use flight (local)	26	3	12%
Glider-towing flight	26	6	23%

Under which rules

Most cases are private flying under the general aviation rules; airline flying under Part 121 is a small share despite carrying most passengers.

The table (16 rows)

Rules	Cases	Fatal	Share fatal
General aviation rules (Part 91)	11851	1954	16%
Agricultural flying rules (Part 137)	602	100	17%
Charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)	475	87	18%
Scheduled airline rules (Part 121)	398	5	1%
Public-use (government) rules	143	26	18%
External-load helicopter rules (Part 133)	66	22	33%
Foreign airline rules (Part 129)	40	2	5%
Rules the NTSB did not record	12	1	8%
Not recorded	11	1	9%
Non-U.S. commercial rules	10	1	10%
Small-drone rules (Part 107)	9	0	0%
Military rules	9	2	22%
Fractional-ownership rules (Part 91 subpart K)	5	1	20%
Non-U.S. private rules	3	1	33%
Large-aircraft private carriage rules (Part 125)	2	1	50%
Ultralight rules (Part 103)	2	1	50%

Weather

Only 4% of cases happened in cloud or poor visibility, but 57% of those were fatal.

Visual conditions (good weather)12,608Instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)541Conditions the NTSB did not record267

The table (3 rows)

Conditions	Cases	Fatal	Share fatal
Visual conditions (good weather)	12608	1795	14%
Instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)	541	311	57%
Conditions the NTSB did not record	267	55	21%

Kind of aircraft and how it was built

Airplane11,739Helicopter1,254Glider223Gyroplane111Balloon105Weight-shift aircraft86Not recorded57Powered parachute35Aircraft11Ultralight8Powered-lift aircraft8Airship1

The table (14 rows)

Kind	Cases	Fatal	Share fatal
Airplane	11739	1863	16%
Helicopter	1254	212	17%
Glider	223	41	18%
Gyroplane	111	22	20%
Balloon	105	8	8%
Weight-shift aircraft	86	34	40%
Not recorded	57	14	25%
Powered parachute	35	10	29%
Aircraft	11	0	0%
Ultralight	8	1	12%
Powered-lift aircraft	8	0	0%
Airship	1	0	0%
Factory-built	11786	1848	16%
Amateur-built	1852	357	19%

Damage

Substantial damage11,554Destroyed1,427Not recorded440Minor damage217

The table (4 rows)

Damage	Cases
Substantial damage	11554
Destroyed	1427
Not recorded	440
Minor damage	217

Time of day

Local time, as the NTSB records it. The busiest hour for cases is 18:00 to 19:00. Click an hour for its cases.

The table (24 rows)

Hour (local)	Cases	Fatal
00	0	0
01	460	98
02	308	57
03	218	44
04	121	29
05	73	26
06	53	12
07	41	6
08	35	7
09	30	8
10	54	13
11	143	29
12	285	54
13	494	85
14	787	133
15	946	137
16	1087	168
17	1191	177
18	1193	202
19	1185	177
20	1172	159
21	1068	154
22	918	142
23	882	133

Season

Jul has the most cases and Dec the fewest; flying follows the weather.

The table (12 rows)

Month	Cases	Fatal
Jan	714	119
Feb	784	129
Mar	962	140
Apr	992	159
May	1286	205
Jun	1567	231
Jul	1729	265
Aug	1497	233
Sep	1349	211
Oct	1053	194
Nov	775	132
Dec	708	143

Day of the week

Saturday has the most cases.

The table (7 rows)

Day	Cases	Fatal
Monday	1701	274
Tuesday	1655	276
Wednesday	1762	264
Thursday	1890	301
Friday	2010	334
Saturday	2367	373
Sunday	2031	339

Where the numbers come from

NTSB aviation accident database, records to 2026-09-30; U.S. cases only

Computed once a night by this site from the public files named above; nothing here identifies a person. All analytics pages.