Fatalities Drop but Total Bizav Accidents Increase

According to preliminary data compiled by BJT sister publication Aviation International News,  turbine business airplane accidents worldwide claimed the lives of fewer people in the first quarter—16 compared with 25 in the same period last year. However, the total number of nonfatal mishaps increased to 21 from 12 over the comparable periods.

U.S.-registered business jets were involved in one fatal accident in each of the first quarters, both occurring under Part 91. One N-numbered business jet was involved in a serious, but nonfatal, accident in the first quarter. A second no-injury mishap in the quarter was classified by the NTSB as an accident due to the “substantial” damage that resulted. There were no reported fatal crashes of non-U.S.-registered business jets in the first quarters of 2017 or 2016.

In this year's first quarter, one accident of an N-numbered turboprop claimed two lives, compared with one crash in which seven persons lost their lives in the period last year. Four non-N-numbered turboprop accidents killed 13 people in the first quarter, compared with 16 who died in five accidents in the first three months of 2016. 

No accidents or incidents were recorded for Part 91K jet or turboprop operations in the first quarter, compared with three incidents in the January-through-March period last year.