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 AVIATION STATISTICS - 2001

Foreword

This document provides users of Canadian aviation safety data with an annual summary of selected statistics on aviation occurrences. Information in this summary is also posted on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) Internet site at http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca.

Users of these statistics are advised that, in a live database, the occurrence data are constantly being updated. Consequently, the statistics can change slightly over time. Further, as many occurrences are not formally investigated, information recorded on some occurrences may not have been verified. Therefore, caution should be used when utilizing these statistics. The 2001 statistics presented here reflect the TSB database updated as of 06 March 2002.

To enhance awareness and increase the safety value of the material presented in the TSB Statistical Summary, Aviation Occurrences 2001, readers are encouraged to copy or reprint, in whole or in part, for further distribution of the data presented (with acknowledgement of the source).

The TSB is an independent agency operating under its own Act of Parliament. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety.

Comments on this document can be forwarded to the following address:

Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Information Strategies and Analysis Directorate
Place du Centre
200 Promenade du Portage
4th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 1K8

Telephone: (819) 994-3741
Facsimile: (819) 997-2239
E-mail: communications@bst-tsb.gc.ca

© Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada 2001
Cat. No. TU1-3/2000
ISBN 0-662-65660-1


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Overview

Accidents

In 2001, a total of 359 aviation accidents were reported to the TSB. Of this number, which excludes ultralights, 295 accidents involved Canadian-registered aircraft, a decrease of 8% from 2000 (Figure 1). Statistical analysis using linear regression indicates a significant downward trend (p < .01) (1) of reported aircraft accidents over the last 10 years.

Based on an estimated small decrease in flying activity, the accident rate is estimated to have fallen from 8.0 accidents per 100 000 flying hours in 2000 to 7.6 in 2001, the lowest in more than 10 years.

Figure 1. Accidents and Accident Rates 1992-2001

Figure 1. Accidents and Accident Rates,[2] 1992-2001

The 295 accidents to Canadian-registered aircraft (excluding ultralights) involved 242[3] aeroplanes (68 of which were commercially operated) and 47 helicopters. The remaining 9 were either balloons, gliders, or gyrocopters.

There were 68 commercial aeroplanes (5 airliners, 8 commuter aircraft, 37 air taxis, and 18 aerial work aircraft) involved in accidents in 2001 (Figure 2). Of these, 1 commuter, 5 air taxis and 1 aerial work aircraft were involved in fatal accidents. There were no fatal accidents involving airliners.

A total of 167 private aeroplanes were involved in accidents, 6% higher than the five-year average of 157. In 2001, 17 such accidents resulted in fatalities, about the same as in previous years.

Figure 2. Canadian-Registered Aircraft Accidents by Aircraft Type, 2001

Figure 2. Canadian-Registered Aircraft Accidents by Aircraft Type, 2001

In 2001, Canadian-registered aircraft, excluding ultralights, were involved in 33 fatal accidents[4] (Figure 3), 10% less than the 1996-2000 average of 37. The number of fatalities and serious injuries (62 and 37, respectively) decreased by 15% and 26% from the five-year average (73 and 50, respectively).

Aeroplanes operated by the state (that is, operated by federal or provincial governments) were involved in 3 accidents in 2001 with no fatalities.

In 2001, there were 47 helicopter accidents, a 12% decrease from the five-year average of 54. Of the 47 helicopter accidents, 6 were fatal, resulting in 9 fatalities. The highest proportion of helicopter accidents occur during air transport operations (26%) and training (23%).

In 2001, 35 ultralight aircraft and 29 foreign-registered aircraft were involved in accidents in Canada. Of the accidents involving ultralight aircraft, 6 resulted in 8 fatalities, which is consistent with previous years. Of the accidents involving foreign-registered aircraft, 8 resulted in 10 fatalities.

Figure 3. Fatalities and Fatal Accidents, 1992-2001

Figure 3. Fatalities and Fatal Accidents, 1992-2001

Accidents by Selected Categories

Province (Table 3): Although the number of accidents for Canadian-registered aircraft decreased from 319 in 2000 to 295 in 2001, there were a few notable changes by province (Figure 4). Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia saw a substantially lower number of accidents (63 and 36, respectively) compared to the previous five-year average (88 and 51, respectively).

Figure 4. Aircraft Involved in Accidents by Province

Figure 4. Aircraft Involved in Accidents by Province

Events and Phases (Tables 4-6): Accidents are frequently classified according to the first event (or abnormal condition) in the sequence of events that led to the occurrence. This classification serves to demonstrate the nature and distribution of safety-significant events and how these events shift over time. However, the first event should not be construed to be the cause of the accident. In 2001, the most common first event in aeroplane accidents was take-off/landing event (19%). Control loss (15%), power loss (15%), and collision with object (9%) were the next most common first events. Collision with object (17%), collision with terrain (11%), and power loss (11%) were the most common first events in helicopter accidents.

The statistics show that the first event leading to an accident varies substantially according to the flight phase of the aircraft involved. For aeroplanes, accidents during the landing phase account for about 35% of total accidents. The most common first events in such accidents were landing (such as nose over, tire blowout, etc.) and control loss. Approximately 24% of aeroplane accidents occur during the take-off phase; in these accidents, control loss and power loss were the more common first events. The en route phase accounted for about 16% of aeroplane accidents; power loss is the most common first event in that flight phase.

The approach/landing phase accounted for 27% of helicopter accidents, with the most common first events being collision with object and control loss. About 14% of helicopter accidents occurred in the take-off phase; collision with object, control loss, and power loss are common first events. In the manoeuvring phase (16%) and the hover/lifting phase (16%), collision with object is the most common first event.

Pilot Licences (Table 7): First events vary with the licence type of the pilot. Students and aeroplane pilots with private pilot licences were more commonly involved in accidents where the first event was control loss, take-off/landing event, or power loss. However, commercial or air transport pilots were involved in proportionally more accidents where collision with terrain or a component system malfunction was the first event than pilots with other licence types.

Operation Type (Table 8): In 2001, aeroplane accidents occurred mainly on recreational flights (44%), followed by training (19%) and air transport flights (18%).


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Incidents

Overview of Incidents (Tables 1, 9, and 10)

Pursuant to TSB mandatory incident reporting requirements, 853 incidents were reported in 2001, 721 of which involved Canadian-registered aircraft.

In 2001, the most frequent incident types were declared emergency (30%), risk of collision or loss of separation (24%), and engine failure (21%). The remainder were mostly smoke/fire incidents (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Incidents Involving Aircraft by Type, 2001

Figure 5. Incidents Involving Aircraft by Type, 2001

The first event in declared emergency on Canadian-registered aircraft usually involved component failures, the most common of which were landing gear, hydraulic system, and electrical system.

Over the past five years, the majority of risk-of-collision incidents involving Canadian-registered aircraft had air traffic services (ATS)-related or air proximity events[5] as their first event.

Table 1 - Aviation Occurrences and Casualties 1992-2001

Table 2 - Canadian-Registered Aircraft Involved in Accidents: Accident Rates and Fatalities by Operator Type 1992-2001

Table 3 - Accidents Involving Canadian-Registered Aircraft by Province 1992-2001

Table 4 - Canadian-Registered Aircraft Involved in Accidents by First Event and Phase of Flight 1992-2001

Table 5 - Canadian-Registered Aircraft Involved in Accidents: First Event vs. Phase of Flight 1992-2001

Table 6 - Canadian-Registered Aeroplanes Involved in Accidents: First Event vs. Aeroplane Type 1992-2001

Table 7 - Canadian-Registered Aeroplanes Involved in Accidents: First Event vs. Pilot Licence Type 1992-2001

Table 8 - Canadian-Registered Aircraft Involved in Accidents by Operation Type 1992-2001

Table 9 - Incidents Involving Canadian-Registered Aircraft by Incident Type 1992-2001

Table 10 - Canadian-Registered Aircraft Involved in Incidents: Selected Incident Types vs. First Event 1997-2001


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Appendix A: Definitions

The following definitions apply to aviation occurrences that are required to be reported pursuant to the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and the associated regulations.

Aeroplane Type

Aerial Work Aircraft

A commercially operated aeroplane or helicopter used in aerial work involving

  1. the carriage of persons other than flight crew members;
  2. the carriage of helicopter external loads;
  3. the towing of objects; or
  4. the dispersal of products.

Airliner

An aeroplane used by a Canadian air operator in an air transport service or in aerial work involving sightseeing operations, that has a MCTOW of more than 8618 kg (19 000 pounds) or for which a Canadian type certificate has been issued authorizing the transport of 20 or more passengers.

Air Taxi Aircraft

A commercially operated aircraft, used in an air transport service or in aerial work involving sightseeing operations, in which the aircraft is

  1. a single-engined aircraft;
  2. a multi-engined aircraft, other than a turbo-jet-powered aeroplane, that has a MCTOW of 8618 kg (19 000 pounds) or less and a seating configuration, excluding pilot seats, of nine or less; or
  3. any aircraft that is authorized by the Minister of Transport to be operated under Part VII, Subpart 3, Division I of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs).

Commuter Aircraft

Any of the following aeroplanes used by a Canadian air operator, in an air transport service or in aerial work involving sightseeing operations:

  1. a multi-engined aircraft that has a MCTOW of 8618 kg (19 000 pounds) or less and a seating configuration, excluding pilot seats, of 10 to 19 inclusive;
  2. a turbo-jet-powered aeroplane that has a maximum zero fuel weight of 22 680 kg (50 000 pounds) or less and for which a Canadian type certificate has been issued authorizing the transport of not more than 19 passengers.

Occurrence Type

Air Proximity Event

A situation in which, in the opinion of a pilot or air traffic services personnel, the distance between aircraft as well as their positions and speed have been such that the safety of the aircraft involved might have been compromised.

ATS-Related Event

Any event related to the provision of air traffic control services including, but not limited to, failure or inability to provide service, emergency handling, or loss of in-flight separation.

Aviation Occurrence

  1. Any accident or incident associated with the operation of an aircraft;
  2. Any situation or condition that the Board has reasonable grounds to believe could, if left unattended, induce an accident or incident described in (a) above.

Reportable Aviation Accident

An accident resulting directly from the operation of an aircraft where

  1. a person sustains a serious injury or is killed as a result of
    1. being on board the aircraft;
    2. coming into contact with any part of the aircraft or its contents; or
    3. being directly exposed to the jet blast or rotor downwash of the aircraft;
  2. the aircraft sustains damage that adversely affects the structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics of the aircraft and that requires major repair or replacement of any affected component part; or
  3. the aircraft is missing or inaccessible.

Reportable Aviation Incident

An incident resulting directly from the operation of an aeroplane having a maximum certificated take-off weight (MCTOW) greater than 5700 kg or from the operation of a rotorcraft having a MCTOW greater than 2250 kg, where

  1. an engine fails or is shut down as a precautionary measure;
  2. a transmission gearbox malfunction occurs;
  3. smoke or fire occurs;
  4. difficulties in controlling the aircraft are encountered owing to any aircraft system malfunction, weather phenomena, wake turbulence, uncontrolled vibrations, or operations outside the flight envelope;
  5. the aircraft fails to remain within the intended landing or take-off area, lands with all or part of the landing gear retracted, or drags a wing tip, an engine pod, or any other part of the aircraft;
  6. any crew member whose duties are directly related to the safe operation of the aircraft is unable to perform the crew member's duties as a result of physical incapacitation that poses a threat to the safety of any person, property, or the environment;
  7. depressurization occurs that necessitates an emergency descent;
  8. a fuel shortage occurs that necessitates a diversion or requires approach and landing priority at the destination of the aircraft;
  9. the aircraft is refuelled with the incorrect type of fuel or contaminated fuel;
  10. a collision, risk of collision, or loss of separation occurs;
  11. a crew member declares an emergency or indicates any degree of emergency that requires priority handling by an air traffic control unit or the standing by of emergency response services;
  12. a slung load is released unintentionally or as a precautionary or emergency measure from the aircraft; or
  13. any dangerous goods are released in or from the aircraft.

Serious Injury

An injury that is sustained by a person in an accident and that

  1. requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within seven days of the date the injury was received; or
  2. results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); or
  3. involves lacerations that cause severe haemorrhage or nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; or
  4. involves injury to any internal organ; or
  5. involves second- or third-degree burns or any burns affecting more than 5% of the body surface; or
  6. involves verified exposure to infectious substances or injurious radiation.

Operator Type

Commercial Operator

A "for-hire" service to transport people or goods or to undertake specific tasks such as aerial photography, flight training, or crop spraying.

Corporate Operator

A company flying for business reasons.

Private Operator

An individual flying for pleasure. Included are flights on which it is not possible to transport people or cargo on a "for-hire" basis.

State Operator

A federal or provincial government.

[1]  It is agreed by convention that for a result to be considered statistically significant, its probability must be lower than 1 in 20 (that is, p < .05).

[2]  Canadian-registered aircraft (excluding ultralights).

[3]  As some occurrences involve more than one aircraft, users are cautioned to note differences between number of occurrences and number of aircraft involved in occurrences. Ultralight aircraft are included only in Table 1; balloons, gliders, and gyrocopters are included only in Tables 1 and 3.

[4]  Three of the 33 accidents involved a glider, a balloon, or a gyrocopter.

[5]  Please refer to the definitions in Appendix A for explanations for ATS-related and air proximity events.

Date Modified: 2008-11-13

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