M3.2 Commercial Aviation Stats

Running head: Commercial Aviation Accident Statistics

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Commercial Aviation Accident Statistics Andre Grant Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Running head: Commercial Aviation Accident Statistics

In passenger transportation, safety factors (also referred to as causal factors) are

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events that are associated with or influence fatality rates. A safety indicator is a measurable safety factor. The probability of death (or injury) as a result of traveling on a given mode, when quantified, is the primary benchmark of passenger transportation safety (Rodrigues & Cusick, 2011). It’s has always been an adopted belief that flying was the safest way to travel. While there are plenty of statistical data to back this claim up, one should use caution.

The aviation industry is extremely different today than it was at it’s inception and

according to Rodrigues & Cusick (2011) “one should exercise care when comparing safety statistics over long periods” (Review of Safety Statistics: Introduction). Since aviation accidents are so rare the industry usually relies on a time period of the previous five to ten years.

Sometimes the industry can be subjective when it comes to safety. If an accident

doesn’t involve life or limb it’s usually not counted in some of the more mainstream statistics. According to a study conducted by Arnold Barnett of Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2012 was the safest year for flight. Barnett determined that the risk of death in an airplane accident was one in 45 million flights.

Counting statistics is always a tricky subject. Anyone can manipulate numbers

and get a figure to support their cause. A few other issues to be cautious about aviation statistics is the lack of complete data, timeliness of data and the reliability of the data. Manufacturers have a duty to find out why an accident happened. At Boeing accident investigation and data analysis are separate and perform completely different functions. As with anything there...