There were no reportable accidents and only one serious incident last year involving EASA-member-state-registered, non-commercial complex (NCC) turbine business airplanes, according to the agency’s 2021 Annual Safety Review. In addition, the number of serious incidents has significantly decreased in comparison with the average of the previous 10-year period even though traffic levels of NCC business airplanes remained at 75 percent of 2019 levels last year.
In 2020, there were also no fatal accidents involving European commercial air transport (CAT) holders—meaning airlines and air taxi/charter operators. Although there were eight non-fatal accidents and 42 incidents involving CAT holders, the number of nonfatal accidents was lower than the average of the previous 10-year period. Also, serious incidents decreased last year versus the previous year and the average of the previous 10-year period.
The number of CAT helicopter accidents, fatalities and serious injuries last year were also significantly lower than the average of the preceding decade. The only CAT helicopter fatal accident in 2020 occurred in Italy during an air taxi ambulance operation for heliskiing, when a skier remained hooked with the helicopter’s utility basket on take-off and fell to the ground. In addition, helicopter sightseeing operations were involved in zero accidents compared to a 10-year average of 1.5.