Increase in airline accident rates in 1999

Investigators inspect an American Airlines jet that crashed in Little Rock, Arkansas, in June 1999

February 26, 2000
Web posted at: 1:41 a.m. EST (0641 GMT)

From Correspondent Carl Rochelle

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. airline accidents increased slightly in 1999, while general aviation accident rates were down, according to figures released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The board said 12 people were killed in airline accidents in 1999, 11 of them in the crash of an American Airlines jet which slid off the end of a runway at Little Rock, Arkansas, in June.

One ground crew worker died, also in Little Rock, when struck by a rotating propeller. No passenger fatalities were reported in 1998.

Airline accidents for 1999 totaled 48, up slightly from 43 in 1998. The 1999 totals do not include the October 31 crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 -- because the carrier is based overseas and the crash was in international waters.

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There were 12 fatalities in non-scheduled commuter airline service, up from no accidents in 1998.

Air taxis reported one fewer accident in 1999 and fatalities in air taxi operations went down from 48 to 38.

For the second consecutive year, there were no fatal accidents for charter airlines operating under the same rules as scheduled air carriers.

According to the NTSB, general aviation, which encompasses virtually all aircraft except airlines, commuters, air taxis and military/government aircraft, had 1,908 accidents in 1999 one less than the previous year.

Fatal general aviation accidents decreased from 365 to 342. Although the number of fatal accidents was down the total number of fatalities increased slightly, from 623 to 628.

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National Transportation Safety Board
Federal Aviation Administration

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