AirSafe.com Listing of Fatal Plane Crash Rates Updated

AirSafe.com has updated its listing of fatal plane crash rates to include flight data through the end of 2008. Among jet aircraft models with a history of at least two million flights, the current generation of the 737* has the lowest fatal lane crash rate, followed by the A320, the previous generation of the 737**, the Canadair CRJ, and the MD80/MD90. Of these models, the MD80/MD90 series has been in service the longest, since 1980. The previous generation of the 737 has the most flights, with just over 62 million.

Airliner models are ranked using a combination of the number of fatal plane crashes, the percentage of passengers killed in that crash, and the total number of flights of that model. Only plane crashes involving at least one passenger death are included. AirSafe.com's method of computing these rates gives more weight to those crashes that kill most or all of the passengers, and less weight to those that kill a small proportion of passengers. The formulas and definitions used are explained in detail at AirSafe.com

The number of flights are current as of 31 December 2008 for the following models: Airbus, Boeing, BAe 146/RJ100, Concorde, Fokker, and Lockheed. Data sources for fatal plane crashes and airline flight data include Flight International magazine, Conde Nast Traveler magazine, the New York Times, ICAO, and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

* 737-600, 737-700, 737-800, and 737-900
** 737-300, 737-400, and 737-500