43 Accident/incident statistics
43.1 EUROCONTROL recommended sources
According to ICAO Annex 13:
An accident is an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft …, in which (a) a person is fatally or seriously injured… or (b) the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure …or (c) the aircraft is missing or completely inaccessible.1
An incident is an occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft which affects or could affect the safety of operations.
The following documents are key sources of the latest statistics on accidents and incidents occurring in the aviation domain, as well as the related fatalities and injuries.
EASA Annual Safety Review [1]
Provides both, a statistical summary of aviation safety in the EASA Member States and identifies the most important safety challenges faced by European aviation today. The key statistics on accidents and serious incidents in the different aviation domains can be found at the start of each chapter in the Annual Safety Review.
EUROCONTROL voluntary ATM incident reporting (EVAIR) safety bulletin [2]
Collects low-severity ATM incidents which involve pilots and controllers. The established process and kinds of data provided by airlines and ANSP Safety Management Systems (SMS) allow day to day analysis and, in this regard, identification of the causes of incidents. The data are collected from the entire ECAC region and from neighbouring airspace, such as the Eastern part of the ICAO EUR region, the Middle East, Africa, etc.
IATA Annual Safety Report [3]
Provides the industry with critical information derived from the analysis of aviation accidents to enable to understand safety risks in the industry and to propose mitigation strategies.
43.2 Further reading
The sources listed hereafter are those recommended to consult for further information:
EU Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 on the investigation and prevention of accidents and incidents in civil aviation and repealing Directive 94/56/EC [4]
Contains a definition of accidents and incidents
EU Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation, amending Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Directive 2003/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 1321/2007 and (EC) No 1330/2007 [5]
Contains information on the regulatory requirements reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences, which include accidents and incidents in civil aviation
EU Single Sky Performance Review Body, Annual Monitoring Report [6]
The Annual Monitoring Reports are prepared by the Performance Review Body (PRB) of the Single European Sky (SES)
ICAO safety reports [7]
Provides overview of worldwide aviation safety performance and collaborative efforts by international air transport stakeholders to further improve safety in light of the sustained growth of the sector
Performance Review Commission (2023) Draft Performance Review Report (PRR) 2023 [8]
Annual Performance Review Reports issued by the Performance Review Commission provide an annual review of Europe’s ATM safety performance
SKYbrary [9]
An electronic repository of safety knowledge related to ATM and aviation safety in general. It contains information about accidents and serious incidents by aircraft type and is also a portal which gives users access to the safety data made available on the websites of various aviation organisations (regulators, service providers, industry).
43.3 When to use the input?
This input is recommended to be used in the instances where safety is an important factor, namely in terms of accident reduction.
43.4 References
Full definition of accident: An occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until such time as all such persons have disembarked, in which (a) a person is fatally or seriously injured as a result of being in the aircraft; or direct contact with any part of the aircraft, including parts which have become detached from the aircraft; or direct exposure to jet blast (except when the injuries are from natural causes, self-inflicted or inflicted by other persons, or when the injuries are to stowaways hiding outside the areas normally available to the passengers or crew); or (b) the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure which: adversely affects the structural strength, performance or flight characteristics of the aircraft and would normally require major repair or replacement of the affected component (except for engine failure or damage, when the damage is limited to the engine, its cowlings or accessories; or for damage limited to propellers, wing tips, antennas, tires, brakes, fairings, small dents or puncture holes in the aircraft skin); or (c) the aircraft is missing or is completely inaccessible. (ICAO Annex 13)↩︎