The year 2012 set records globally for the fewest major accidents involving commercial jets and commercial turboprops. The decreasing trend in the commercial jet accident rate was extended. The 2011 record rate, 0.28 major accidents1 per million departures for commercial jets, was reduced by 50 percent to a record low of 0.14. For the second year in a row, there were no commercial jet upset aircraft accidents.
But the increase in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents continued. Three of the seven commercial jet accidents were CFIT. Commercial turboprops also set a record low for the number of major accidents, although CFIT again dominated their fatality numbers. Business jets had 13 major accidents, slightly above their 12-year average.
There are now more than 22,000 commercial jets in the world. Of these, approximately 5 percent are Eastern-built. The world’s commercial turboprop fleet is 20 percent Eastern-built. About 9 percent of the total commercial jet f…
