Turboprop Accident Rate up for 2010

According to statistics compiled by Robert E. Breiling and Associates, there was a small increase in the number of business turboprop accidents the first quarter of this year, compared with the same time frame last year. But even a small increase can look larger in percentage terms, since there are so few accidents making up the statistical sample. There were only eight business turboprop accidents in the first three months of 2009; but 15 in Q1 of this year (up by almost 100 percent). Both years saw three fatal accidents involving business turboprops, but the number of fatalities this year is down by more than half compared with last year — seven deaths in 2010 compared with 19 in 2009. Among business jets, there was only one accident in Q1 this year compared with three last year — but this year's accident involved two fatalities while there were no fatal accidents in Q1 2009.