UPI en Español  |   UPI Asia  |   About UPI  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Airlines: 2012 safest in nearly 50 years

  |
 
Published: Dec. 29, 2012 at 12:26 PM

NEW YORK, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Commercial flying in the United States and elsewhere in 2012 was safer than it has been in more than nearly fifty years, industry data show.

There have been 22 commercial airline crashes resulting in fatalities this year, down from 28 in 2011, data from the Aviation Safety Network show.

The 10 year average for crashes with fatalities is 34 per year, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

The most recent commercial flight that crashed with fatalities in the United States, including cargo and passenger flights, was in 2009 near Buffalo, N.Y.

The improved safety record is attributable to more reliable equipment and the airline industry's adoption of a policy of no retribution against pilots or mechanics who report technical problems, the Journal said.

"Overall, it was the certainly the safest year ever," according to Paul Hayes, director of safety at Ascend, a consulting firm that complies an annual report on airline safety.

Previously, 2011 had been the safest year ever, but 2012 is "almost twice as safe" as that, the report from Ascend said.

Ten of the 22 fatal crashes in 2012 involved commercial passenger flights, with three of those involving large jetliners and seven involving turboprop planes.

For the year, 470 people died in airline crashes, a 61 percent drop from the 10-year average of 770 fatalities per year.

Recommended Stories
© 2012 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
New York Fashion Week 2013 U.S. Open 2013 50th anniversary of the March on Washington
Celebrity families of 2013 MTV VMAs 2013 Style Awards
Additional Business News Stories
Video
1 of 18
Obama visits Sandwich Shot in Washington, D.C.
View Caption
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden order take-out lunch at Taylor Gourmet on Pennsylvania Avenue, in Washington, D.C. on October 4, 2013. The reason he gave was they are starving and the establishment is giving a 10 percent discount to furloughed government workers as an indication of how ordinary Americans are looking out for one another. UPI/Pete Marovich/Pool
fark
Not news: being charged with weapons possession. Fark: the weapon was a puppy
I spied 'er across the crowded lawn. She had eight of the hairiest, most beautiful legs I've ever...
Since there's a popular caffeinated beverage/food fight trifecta in play, here's an article that...
Nine in ten travelers think reclining seats should be banned on airplanes. The tenth should be ejected...
Remember the guy who was caught on camera punching a female clerk over 41 cents? He has been captured...
If you're around Lakewood, Wa, a lot of angry veterans and soldiers would like you to keep your...