Unprecedented Safety Milestones in General Aviation: 2023 Accident Rates Hit Record Low
General aviation safety reached groundbreaking milestones in 2023. Both the overall and fatal accident rates witnessed a significant decline, despite the surge in flight activity. This data is according to the 35th Richard G. McSpadden Report released by AOPA’s Air Safety Institute.
The overall accident rate plummeted to 3.86 per 100,000 flight hours, a notable decrease from 4.3 in 2022. Concurrently, the fatal accident rate also saw a reduction, dropping to 0.65 from 0.68 the previous year. This improvement was observed alongside a substantial 6% increase in flight hours, which rose to 28.4 million from 26.8 million in 2022.
In total, general aviation accidents numbered 1,097 in 2023, with 186 of these proving fatal. “A significant increase in flight activity helped drive these rates lower,” explained Robert Geske, AOPA’s senior manager of aviation safety analysis.
Loss of control incidents, both on the ground and in flight, remained the leading cause of accidents. However, the report highlighted some encouraging trends. There were decreases in weather-related accidents and those occurring during preflight and taxi phases. Conversely, fuel management issues showed a slight increase, while mechanical failures rose to 187 incidents.
“Early indicators from 2024 and 2025 suggest continued encouraging GA accident trends,” the Institute noted. However, the complete annual data is still pending FAA survey completion.
The McSpadden report serves as a comprehensive resource for pilots, instructors, and policymakers. It helps identify safety risks and guide targeted training initiatives.
Source: AOPA News