What Are The Chances Of A Plane Crashing? – Here’s What You Should Know

Last Updated on Oct 21st, 2024 by Renu Dahiya, 4 comments

Air travel is one of the most popular methods of transportation in the world, especially for passengers traveling long distances. While many travelers have a fear of flying, air travel is actually a safer means of transportation than traveling by car. Yes, it is true! According to reports and statistics, the chances of a plane crashing is much lower than the chances of a car accident. 

Let’s check some more interesting facts and data collected by experts to know what are the chances of getting in a plane crash. 

What Are The Odds Of A Plane Crashing? Is It Very Common?

The odds of a plane crashing are not common – at least not nowadays. A rough estimate of the probability of an airplane going down due to an emergency is about 1 in 11 million, meaning it would take us quite a few lifetimes before actually experiencing a plane crash. That’s a whopping 0.00001% chance that something will go terribly wrong on your flight. 

Your chance of being hurt on your way to the airport is much greater than once you’re on a plane. Just remember that pilots are professionals. They have had years of training and experience. And, almost 95% of plane crashes have survivors, so even if the worst does happen, your odds are not as bad as you might think.

This data comes from authoritative sources that regularly update their information on aviation accidents, providing details on crashes, airlines involved, and fatalities.

https://aviation-safety.net/
https://www.baaa-acro.com/

Plane Crash Statistics

To know more about how likely is a plane crash, let’s look at the different statistics on airplane crashes which will help you figure out what are the chances of plane crashes –

Let’s take a look at the number of aviation accidents that happened in the last few years – 

Year	Number of Crashes	Airlines Involved	Deaths
2000	38	22	1012
2001	34	19	4164
2002	28	18	914
2003	25	16	702
2004	30	20	774
2005	24	17	1036
2006	27	21	888
2007	29	19	981
2008	26	18	707
2009	25	17	749
2010	28	20	829
2011	26	18	828
2012	23	15	475
2013	29	22	459
2014	21	14	898
2015	22	16	471
2016	19	12	258
2017	15	10	399
2018	20	14	986
2019	16	11	317
2020	12	9	506
2021	13	8	394
2022	14	10	412
2023	11	7	239
2024	10	6	174

Commercial Airline Crashes

Here are some of the commercial airlines with the most crashes and the number of deaths in these crashes –

Commercial Airline Crashes in USA (2000-2024)

Year	Airline	Number of Crashes	Total Fatalities
2000	Alaska Airlines	1	88
2001	American Airlines	2	265
2001	United Airlines	2	282
2002	US Airways	1	21
2004	Pinnacle Airlines	1	2
2005	Southwest Airlines	1	0
2006	Comair	1	49
2009	Colgan Air	1	50
2013	UPS Airlines	1	2
2018	Southwest Airlines	1	1
2020	Atlas Air	1	3
2021	Transair	1	0
2023	Delta Air Lines	1	2
2024	Private Charter	1	3

Number Of Deaths In Airplane Crashes 

• Daily Flights: 45,000
• Average Passengers Per Flight: 150
• Daily Passengers: 6,750,000
• Annual Passengers: 2.46 billion
• Average Annual Deaths: 25
• Probability of Dying in a Commercial Plane Crash: 0.00000101626%

Airplane Crashes By Aircraft (2000-2024)

Take a look at the data based on the aircraft model to let you figure out what type of airplane has had the highest crash rate. 

Aircraft Type	Number of Crashes	Airlines Involved	Total Fatalities
Boeing 737	45	30	3721
Airbus A320	38	26	3029
Boeing 747	22	16	2895
Airbus A330	15	10	1578
Boeing 777	13	9	1462
McDonnell Douglas MD-11	10	8	912
Embraer E-Jet family	12	10	762
ATR 72	14	11	641
Bombardier Dash 8	9	7	428
Sukhoi Superjet 100	8	6	342
Boeing 787	5	4	288
Airbus A350	4	3	198
Bombardier CRJ	11	9	551
Fokker 100	7	5	422
Boeing 767	10	8	794
Boeing 757	8	6	611
Airbus A380	3	2	150
McDonnell Douglas DC-10	6	5	521
Boeing 737 MAX	2	2	346
Other	25	18	1823

Are Private Planes More Dangerous Than Commercial Planes?

Traveling in a private plane is way more dangerous than taking a commercial flight. Officials say that private planes are nearly as deadly as cars. Private plane crashes are frequently associated with celebrities or high-level executives, but they are not nearly as rare as they seem. While the commercial airline industry has improved its accident rate by 80% in the last 15 years, the general aviation industry (which includes private and recreational air travel) has not. 

Private planes are used less frequently as compared to cars, but when we see the statistics on plane safety, private planes may be just as (or even more) dangerous than the leading cause of transportation deaths in the USA i.e. Cars. As per the reports, there are nearly 21 general aviation fatalities per every 2 million hours of private air travel. And, 1.1 death per every 2 million hours of car travel. The data depicts that boarding a private plane is around 19 times more dangerous than getting behind the wheel of a car. Most of these private plane crashes are caused by pilot error and many occur when pilots lose control of their aircraft. 

Comparisons Of The Safety Of Plane Travel With Other Dangers

There is a multitude of other experiences in life that you likely never think twice about. It turns out that they are more dangerous than traveling in a plane. These dangers are not meant to make you feel anxious about them. Instead, they are meant to show you how unfounded your worries about flying really are! So, just check out these facts and repeat them to yourself when you start to worry about what will happen on your next flight. And, how likely is it for a plane to crash? 

• Your odds of being killed in an automobile accident are 1 in 5000 which means that your drive to the airport is more dangerous than actually flying in a plane. So, the next time you make the drive to the airport, don’t forget to pat yourself on the back. Remember you have just made it through the most dangerous part of your flight. 
• You have a higher chance of dying of food poisoning than in a plane crash, at 1 in 3 million. Funny, right? But it’s a fact!
• You also have a better chance of dying of a snake bite, getting hit by lightning, dying of scalding in hot water, or falling off your bed. And, if you’re left-handed, it’s riskier to use right-handed equipment than it is to die in an airplane crash. The fact of the matter is that flying in a plane is really, really safe. By far, it is the safest mode of transportation. 

Conclusion

Many of us have heard that flying in a plane is exceptionally safe, but if you have a fear of traveling in an airplane, you need more than other people’s words of reassurance to build your confidence in flying. You need to go through the airplane safety statistics firsthand. Because we all know that there is something incredibly comforting about seeing hard data, whether you are planning to book domestic flights or long-hours international flights (such as Chicago to Delhi flights), you will land safely. According to aviation officials, flying is the safest form of transportation to date. It beats traveling by car, train, bus, ferry, and motorcycle by a long shot. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why do not airlines supply parachutes to passengers?

A: Commercial aircraft do not carry parachutes because using parachutes requires skills and extensive training that most people on a commercial aircraft do not have. It is not that easy to use a parachute.

Q: Can turbulence cause a plane crash?

A: Turbulence is a rapid change in the speed or pressure of a fluid. It can cause aircraft to drop in altitude and make a lot of noise. It is rare for turbulence to be powerful enough to actually create a chance of a plane crash, but it can cause injuries.

Q: What is the safest part of the plane?

A: The safest part of the plane is the rear cabin. It is made of stronger material than the front cabin, further from the point of impact, and equipped with safety features like reinforced walls and stronger seatbelts.

Q: What are the odds of being in a plane crash?

A: According to the officials, the odds of an airplane crashing are 1 in 11 million. It means flying in a plane is much safer than traveling in a car.

Q: Which airline has never had a crash?

A: While minor accidents are common with every airline, Hawaiian Airlines has never had a major crash involving fatalities.

Q: Can you actually survive a plane crash?

A: According to a report analyzing aircraft accidents from 1980 to 2020, the officials found that the survival rate of crashes was 96% approximately. Catastrophic plane crashes that involve loss of life are extremely rare i.e., 1 in 19.8 million if you fly with airlines with a good safety record.

Q: How much safer is flying in a plane than traveling in a car?

A: According to the reports, the fatality rate for commercial flights in the US is 0.07 deaths per 100M miles flown and driving is 1.18 deaths per 100M miles driven. It depicts that your chance of dying is 1, 686% higher in a car than in a commercial airline.

Once you get the facts and statistics related to the odds of a plane crash, you will surely be able to begin trusting that flying is super safe. And, we hope that this informational blog has helped you in clearing all your doubts. If you have any further questions, you can ask us in the comments below. Our travel experts at MyTicketsToIndia, resolve all your queries at the earliest.

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