Aviation Accidents on the Decline Per Air Safety Institute Report

Stall/spin accidents account for the largest number of fatal aviation accidents, according to the latest Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute report.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, October 10, 2022 at 02:35 PM ET

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The AOPA’s Air Safety Institute’s new Nall Report indicates that aviation accidents declined in 2020. [Courtesy: Bee Calder/Unsplash]

Key Takeaways:

Aviation accidents and fatalities significantly decreased between 2019 and 2020, with a 10% drop in accidents and a 13% reduction in fatalities, as reported by the Joseph T. Nall report.
Despite the overall decline, accidents occurring during descent and approach increased, with stall/spin incidents accounting for the largest number of fatal accidents.
The commercial fixed-wing total accident rate rose following two years of decline, and fatal fuel-related accidents remained steady, while weather-related and maneuvering accident fatalities decreased.

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It’s always a good thing when the number of aviation accidents is on the decline. Aviation accidents dropped by about 10 percent between 2019 and 2020, according to the 32nd annual Joseph T. Nall report, produced by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Air Safety Institute (ASI).

The Nall Report, which is named for former National Transportation Safety Board member Joseph Nall who was killed in an aircraft accident in 1989, covers airplanes with maximum gross takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or less, as well as helicopters of all sizes. The annual report reviews aircraft accidents that have occurred during the previous year.