Reflecting this increase in miles flown, preliminary estimates of the total number of accidents involving a U.S. registered civilian aircraft increased from 1,139 in 2020 to 1,225 in 2021.

In terms of "catastrophic failure" leading to fatal accidents, commercial aviation in 2026 remains remarkably safe, with fatal accidents occurring at a rate of roughly one per 7 million flights. In 2025, there were only five fatal accidents involving large passenger commercial aircraft globally, resulting in approximately 366 fatalities. While "mechanical failures" or "technical snags" happen more frequently—numbering in the hundreds annually—the vast majority are managed safely by flight crews and result in precautionary landings or delays rather than crashes. Non-fatal accidents, such as those caused by severe in-flight turbulence or ground collisions, occur at a slightly higher rate of about 1.5 per million flights. Statistically, the "failure" rate is so low that you would have to fly once a day for over 20,000 years to be involved in a fatal plane crash. The industry's rigorous maintenance schedules and "redundant" systems ensure that even when a single engine or system fails, the aircraft is almost always capable of landing safely.