Global Bizjet Accident Fatalities Decline

Eleven were killed in five business jet accidents around the world in the first half of this year, down from 24 killed in seven accidents in the first six months of 2023, according to preliminary information compiled by BJT. Global business turboprop fatal accidents and deaths also declined.

Despite fewer accidents (three versus four), the nine fatalities from U.S.-registered business jet accidents in the first half remained unchanged year over year.

The NTSB preliminary report on the February 7 fatal accident involving a Hawker 900XP sheds little light on what might have caused the twinjet to descend seemingly out of control and crash near Westwater, Utah. The two pilots were killed in the Part 91 IFR positioning flight. They planned to perform a stall warning and systems check en route.

Oil pressure warnings preceded the failure of both engines and the February 9 fatal crash of a chartered Bombardier Challenger 604 on a highway on approach to Naples Municipal Airport in Florida. The two pilots of the Part 135 flight, operated by Ace Aviation Services (doing business as Hop-A-Jet), were killed in the accident. The flight attendant and two passengers escaped with minor injuries.

On March 10, an Israel Aircraft Industries 1125 Westwind Astra was involved in a fatal approach accident at Ingalls Field Airport in Hot Springs, Virginia, killing the two pilots and three passengers. The airplane was operated by SkyJet Elite as a Part 91 IFR personal flight.

In the rest of the world, two people died in one non-U.S.-registered business jet accident in the first half versus 15 killed in three accidents in the first six months of 2023. On January 20, two of the six aboard a Russian-registered Dassault Falcon 10 died when the twinjet crashed while in Afghanistan on a chartered ambulance flight.

Meanwhile, U.S.-registered business turboprops suffered nearly the same number of fatal accidents in both comparable periods, but the number of fatalities dropped this year. Four Part 91 mishaps claimed seven in the first half of this year versus 17 fatalities from five accidents last year, including five deaths in a Part 135 accident.

Nine accidents involving non-U.S.-registered business turboprops killed 36 in the first half of 2024, compared with 28 killed in eight crashes in the like period last year. Five of this year’s fatal accidents occurred on private flights; two were reported as charter flights, one was a skydiving operation, and one was a police mission.