Accidents and fatalities involving U.S.-registered business jets more than doubled from a year ago as mishaps surged in the second quarter. Flying was down in the second quarter of 2020 due to the Covid pandemic but has rebounded considerably since then. Meanwhile, accidents involving U.S.-registered turboprops decreased year-over-year.
According to AIN research, preliminary statistics show that nine people lost their lives in three accidents of U.S.-registered business jets in the first half, compared with four killed in a single accident in the comparable period last year. The accidents this year and resulting number of fatalities were January 9, Cessna Citation V, one fatality; May 4, Gulfstream IV, one fatality; and May 29, Cessna Citation I/SP, seven fatalities. Nonfatal accidents of U.S.-registered business jets also climbed from six last year to eight this year.
In the first half, U.S.-registered turboprops suffered seven fatalities in three accidents, compared with 10 killed in four accidents in the first six months of 2020. The crash of a Mitsubishi MU-2 on May 5 killed one person on the ground in addition to the three onboard. The other U.S.-registered business turboprop fatal accidents in the first half of 2021 were February 7, Cessna Conquest, two fatalities; and February 21, Swearingen SA-226, two fatalities.