Most Airplane Accidents Happen During Landing

Most accidents in civil aviation occur during landing. Data from the airline umbrella organization IATA shows that 53% of all aviation accidents that occurred between 2005 and 2023 happened during the landing process. Landing is a complex process during which pilots have to keep a particularly close eye on instruments, radio traffic and environmental influences. Accidents during takeoff are in second place, although they only account for 8.5 percent of accidents. This is followed by accidents during the landing approach, during the initial climb or during the cruise flight. The data relates to flights operated by IATA members, which together account for around 94 percent of all international flights.

Overall, aviation has become increasingly safer in recent decades. In 2022, for example, only 43 accidents occurred out of 27.7 million flights, resulting in the deaths of 158 people. Most air accidents take place in Africa, South America and the Middle East. After North Asia and North America, Europe is one of the safest regions with the fewest accidents.