Global business aviation suffered eight major jet accidents in 2010, according to the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF). This is one more than in 2009 (see chart), but it could be a reflection of increased activity, rather than a pure hike in the accident rate, and this remains among the lowest figures for the last decade.
The worst accident was a chartered Mexican air taxi - a Cessna Citation 501, operated by Aviones Taxi - which went missing en route from Minatitlan to Veracruz, crashing offshore from Coatzacoalcos. Both pilots and all six passengers were killed. There were four other fatal crashes and three serious, but non-fatal, accidents. Four of the events were in the Americas, three in Europe, and one in Papua New Guinea.
In a general statement about business aviation safety at present, the FSF's director of technical programmes, Jim Burin, comments: "They [business aviation] tend to have a slightly higher proportion of approach and landing accidents than the commercial operators - but not dramatically so."
Source: Flight International
