The number of general aviation and commercial air transport accidents in the United States decreased last year, while the number of commuter airline accidents increased, preliminary statistics show.
In 2013, the number of accidents involving commercial air transport operations fell, although the sector experienced the first fatal accident in three years, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
On Aug. 14, 2013, UPS Airlines Flight 1354, an Airbus A300-600, crashed on approach to the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama. Two members of the flight crew were killed.
An Asiana Airlines flight, Flight 214, also crashed in the U.S. but was not included in the NTSB statistics because it was registered to a foreign carrier, the NTSB said.
At the same time, the number of accidents involving scheduled commuter operations under Part 135 increased from four in 2012 to eight in 2013. That included three fatal accidents.
The number of accidents for on-demand Part 135 operations, which include charter, air taxi, air tour and air medical flights, increased in all categories, including the total number of accidents, fatal accidents and number of fatalities. The accident rate per 100,000 flight hours increased from 0.99 in 2012 to 1.24 in 2013, the NTSB said.
At the same time, the total number of general aviation accidents declined from 1,471 in 2012 to 1,222 last year.
The number of general aviation fatal accidents also was down, declining from 273 in 2012 to 221 in 2013, according to the NTSB. Fatalities declined from 440 to 387, and the accident rate per 100,000 flight hours dropped from 7.04 to 5.85.
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