Small Jets Keep Crashing, But It’s Still Safer Than Driving

Photo: Kevin Dietsch (Getty Images)

The safety of small jets is under scrutiny after a Bombardier Challenger 600 crashed on Interstate 75 in Naples, Florida last week. The pilot and co-pilot were killed when the plane hit the roadway amid highway traffic. The flight left Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, Ohio with five people onboard. The Columbus Dispatch looked into how frequently general aviation accidents happen across the country, noting that incidents have dropped by half and that driving on Ohio’s roads is far more dangerous:

In 1992, there were 2,110 airplane accidents in the U.S. resulting in 866 deaths and 408 people being seriously injured. Accidents declined to 1,157 while fatalities fell to 344 and injuries to 221 as of 2021, the most recent year for which data is available from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

By comparison, far more Ohioans died in car accidents in 2021 with 1,354 losing their life on roadways in the state, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

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It should be noted that flying as a passenger on a commercial airline is exponentially safer than flying private. The last fatal incident on a major U.S. airline service was Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 in 2018. The flight’s Boeing 737-700 suffered a contained engine failure. A passenger was partially sucked out of the aircraft when the engine’s cowl shattered a cabin window. The unfortunate woman was pulled back inside but later died.

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The most recent fatal U.S. airline crash was in 2009. Colgan Air Flight 3407, a regional Continental Airlines commuter service, crashed into a home in Western New York, killing all 49 people onboard and one person inside the house.

While 15 years without a major crash is only achievable due to high standards and crucial oversight, recent years haven’t seemed all that safe. Boeing’s quality control woes have been extremely lucky to kill anyone on an American flight despite two fatal crashes overseas with the 737 Max. The FAA’s air traffic controllers can barely hold it together as they endure terrible working conditions.