Press release: 2001 safest year for civil aviation since 1946
Date: 2 January 2002
the Aviation Safety Network / Harro Ranter
The Aviation Safety Network today released the 2001 airliner accident statistics showing again a decrease in the total number of fatal multi-engined airliner accidents; Africa and South- and Central American were relatively the most unsafe continents, while Asia shows a remarkable
decrease in accidents for five years in a row.
In the year 2001 a total of 34 fatal multi-engined airliner accidents caused fatal injuries to 1118 occupants. An estimated 2645 people on the ground were killed. This number includes the estimated death toll of 2510 fatalities in both New York WTC towers and 125 fatalities in the Pentagon,
Washington.The number of 34 fatal accidents makes 2001 the safest year since 1946,
together with 1984. The average number of fatal accidents over the 1991-2000 period is 48 accidents per year. On the other hand, 2001 suffered the highest number of airliner occupant- and ground fatalities ever as a result of the tragic September 11 events. Excluding ground fatalities, the
number of casualties was below the 30-year average.
The 2001 fatality rate (percentage of occupants killed in fatal airliner accidents) of 90% was higher than the 1991-2000 average of 72%.
The countries were most accidents happened were the United States and Russia with 7 and 4 fatal airliner accidents respectively.
Africa is the most unsafe continent. Almost 12% of all fatal airliner accidents happened in Africa, while Africa only accounts for approximately 3 percent of all world aircraft departures. South and Central America account for 9 percent of world departures, but suffered 7 out of the 34 accidents. A remarkable development can be seen in Asia where the number of
fatal airliner accidents has been gradually falling for five years in a row, from 15 fatal accidents in 1997 to just 4 fatal accidents in 2001.
Analyzing last year's accidents and comparing them with the four aviation
safety priorities, identified by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), it can be concluded that much work still needs to be done:
* Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT)
Around 4 CFIT or CFIT related accidents happened in 2001.
* Approach and landing
Around 13 accidents happened in the approach and landing phase last year.
On November 24 for instance, a Crossair Avro RJ.100 descended below minimum descent altitude and collided with terrain while on a nighttime VOR/DME approach to Zürich. Twenty-four occupants did not survive the accident.
* Loss of control
At least 9 accidents last year can be attributed to a loss of control of
some kind. On November 12 for instance, an American Airlines Airbus A.300
crashed after takeoff from New York following the separation of the tailfin.
* Human factors
It's too early to tell in what cases flightcrew actions caused or contributed to the accidents in 2001. Preliminary investigation results indicate that flightcrew actions may have played a role in the July 4 accident involving a Vladivostokavia Tupolev 154 near Irkutsk, Russia. All 145 occupants did not survive the crash which happened when the aircraft
entered a flat spin on a nighttime approach. Please bear in mind that human
factors does not mean "pilot error"; in human factors it is important to
determine which mistakes were made, why, under what circumstances etc.
Apart from these four FSF identified priorities, the most talked-about
issue this year obviously was aviation security, both on the ground and in
the air. Following the September 11 hijackings many airlines took action,
a.o. by strengthening cockpit doors and by making procedural changes. Airport and airplane security will no doubt be the number one priority for aviation regulators and the aviation industry in 2002.
The figures have been compiled using the airliner accident database of the
Aviation Safety Network, the Internet leader in aviation safety
information. The Aviation Safety Network uses information from authoritative sources like NTSB, ICAO etc.The goal of the Aviation Safety Network is to provide everyone with a (professional) interest in aviation with up-to-date, complete and reliable authoritative information on airliner accidents and safety issues.
More information
http://aviation-safety.net http://aviation-safety.net/statistics/2001stats.html (statistical roundup of 2001)
http://aviation-safety.net/database/2001/ (all fatal airliner accidents - 2001)
http://aviation-safety.net/interactive/2001map.html (world map showing fatal accident spread 2001)
[ 01-02-2002: Message edited by: Ozark ]
