Aviation accidents dropped by about 20 percent in 2018 compared to the five year average and a sharp reduction in flight training accidents led the way. In a preliminary assessment of 2018 data, the board said there were 201 accidents in 2018 compared to the five year average of 249. “A strong drop in flight-training accidents following a 2017 peak has brought commercial operator accidents to a total of 66 in 2018, compared to 97 last year and to the five-year average of 80,” the board said.
Meanwhile the number of reportable incidents dropped by about 15 percent but was still higher than the five-year average in 2018. Reportable incidents range from minor aircraft incidents to things like loss of separation and runway incursions. There were 860 incidents in 2018 compared to the five-year average of 797 and the TSB is looking further into the stats. “The TSB is reviewing the reported Risk of Collision and Loss of Separation incident data to uncover factors that could help explain why the number of these incidents remains persistently high,” the board said. The more detailed final report will be released in the second quarter of this year.