There are, of course, examples of catastrophic airliner accidents leading to numerous injuries and fatalities. Commercial planes do sometimes go down or get into accidents on the runway.
But overall, these types of accidents are relatively rare. It is much more likely for small planes to get into accidents than it is for commercial airliners. If you’ve heard people talk about this difference in statistics before, you may be wondering if it is true and why it happens.
First and foremost, the statistics do support the fact that small planes crash more often. For instance, there were 1220 total plane accidents in 2019, but only 40 of them involved commercial plans. Additionally, there were 233 deadly aviation accidents that year, but only two of them happened in a commercial setting. Smaller planes clearly pose a greater risk – in terms of both overall accidents and lives lost.
Why is this true?
One reason why this is true is that small planes – and their pilots – often don’t have the same regulations. For instance, some experts have noted that the maintenance requirements are much less substantial with smaller aircraft, as opposed to airliners. This means that it is more likely that something could go wrong.
Additionally, commercial airline pilots usually have years, if not decades, of experience. They are highly skilled and have to be qualified to operate a vehicle with so many other lives at stake. Pilots of smaller planes may not have the same experience, so they may be more prone to mistakes.
If you have lost a loved one or suffered injuries in an aviation accident this year, take the time to look into all of your legal options.