Business Aviation Accidents Increase Compared with Last Year

Business jets were involved in 18 nonfatal and three fatal accidents during the first nine months of 2006, compared with 16 nonfatal and one fatal accident in the same period last year. Despite the increase in fatal accidents, the number of deaths remained the same, at eight persons, according to safety analyst Robert E. Breiling of Boca Raton, Fla. Meanwhile, accidents involving business turboprops increased from 10 in the first three quarters of last year to 13 this year, but fatalities decreased from 32 to 24 for the same time periods.