2019 Sees Fewer Fatal Passenger Aircraft Accidents

2019 saw a reduction in fatal aircraft accidents involving large passenger aircraft over the previous year, according to a worldwide civil aviation safety review conducted by Netherlands-based aviation consultancy To70. The review, which covers passenger-carrying commercial air transport operations in aircraft with a maximum takeoff mass of 5700 kg (about 12,566 pounds) and above, found an accident rate of 0.18 fatal crashes per one million flights. The rate was 0.20 per million flights in 2018.

“Despite a number of high-profile accidents, this year’s fatal accident rate is lower than the average of the last five years,” To70 said in its report. “In 2019 there were 86 accidents, 8 of which were fatal, resulting in 257 fatalities. … In 2018 there were 160 accidents, 13 of which were fatal, resulting in 534 fatalities.” The company also noted that there were five accidents with more than ten fatalities in 2019 including the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Boeing 737 MAX crash in March.

To70 says its annual safety review data comes from “publicly available databases, aviation authority websites and official sources such as ICAO’s ADREP database.” It does not include accidents involving military flights, training flights, private flights, cargo operations or helicopters.