N E W S
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, D.C 20594 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  February 25, 2000			SB-00-05

1999 AVIATION ACCIDENT STATISTICS SHOW AN  INCREASE IN ACCIDENT RATES FOR
AIRLINES AND COMMUTERS, DECREASE FOR GENERAL AVIATION

Washington, D.C.-The National Transportation Safety Board today released the
1999 aviation accident statistics showing an increase in scheduled airline
and commuter accident rates, but a slight decrease in those rates for
general aviation aircraft.

	The Safety Board's aviation accident statistics report for 1999
shows 12 persons were killed in airline accidents (aircraft with 10 or more
seats).  These fatalities included the 11 persons who died in the crash of
American Airlines flight 1420 in Little Rock, Arkansas on June 1, and a
ground crew worker struck by a rotating propeller in July, coincidentally
also in Little Rock.  This is an increase from 1998, when no passenger
fatalities were reported for scheduled Part 121 aircraft. 

	The 48 accidents involving Part  121 scheduled carriers were a
slight increase from 43 in 1998.   The accident rate per 100,000 departures
also increased from 0.408 to 0.430.

	 For the second consecutive year, there were no fatal accidents
reported for chartered airlines operating under Part 121.  The number of
accidents fell from seven in 1998 to four in 1999.   The accident rate per
100,000 departures decreased from 1.574 to 0.840. 

	There were 12 fatalities in Part 135 commuter airline service; there
were none in 1998.  The accident rate per 100,000 departures rose from 1.131
to 2.453.

	Air taxis reported one fewer accident and fewer fatalities than the
previous year.  The accident rate decreased from 3.03 per 100,000 flight
hours in 1998 to 2.71 in 1999, and fatalities dropped from 48 to 38. 

	General aviation (virtually all aircraft except airlines, commuters,
air taxis and military/government) accidents fell by one last year, from
1,909 in 1998 to 1,908 in 1999.   Fatal accidents decreased in 1999 to 342
compared to 365 in 1998.  Although the number of fatal accidents decreased,
total fatalities showed a slight increase from 623 to 628.  The accident
rate per 100,000 flight hours decreased from 7.12 in 1998 to 7.05 in 1999. 

	Foreign registered aircraft accounted for six accidents with no
fatalities in 1999.  The previous year reported 18 accidents resulting in 10
fatalities. 

	Additional details on 1998 aviation accident rates, including NTSB
tables 1-11, are available on the NTSB web site -- www.ntsb.gov/aviation/Stats.htm. 

-30-