Alaska Aviation Attorneys

Alaska Aircraft Crashes In Commercial Aviation  

A disproportionate number of all U.S. aircraft crashes occur in Alaska. Between 1990-2004 there were 1319 commuter and air taxi crashes in the U.S. of which 351 (27%) were fatal, resulting in 1027 deaths. Alaska accounted for 473 (36%) of the total U.S. crashes, 74 of which were fatal (21% of the U.S. fatal crashes), resulting in 211 deaths (21% of all U.S. deaths). Alaska’s aircraft crash rate (crashes per 100,000 flight hours) for air taxi and general aviation during 1992-1994 was 2.5 times higher than the U.S. average.

Alaska is particularly dependent on aviation to move people and goods throughout the state. Even though Alaska is very large, it has only 12,200 miles of public roads, approximately the same mileage as Vermont, a state with less than 2% of the land area of Alaska. Furthermore, 90% of Alaska’s communities are not connected to a highway system. Even if a road is in place, it may not go any farther than the edge of town or may be an ice road (frozen river or stream) that is only usable during winter. Because of this, commuter and air taxi flights must often serve in lieu of a traditional road system. This makes aircraft essential for personal and commercial transportation of passengers, cargo, and mail to outlying communities.

Between 1990-2004, aviation crashes in Alaska caused 136 occupational pilot deaths (does not include military), an average of 9 pilot fatalities per year. These 136 fatalities over 15 years from a commercial pilot workforce of approximately 2600 results in an annual pilot fatality rate of 349 per 100,000 pilots (0.3%). This is equivalent to a 30-year career fatality risk of 9.9% for commercial pilots in Alaska compared to a 30-year career fatality risk of 2.1% for pilots overall in the U.S. This translates to more than a 4-fold increased risk of fatality while working over a 30-year career in Alaska.

Contact an Aviation Attorney in Alaska to find out more about your legal rights.