Mishaps rise for Swiss-registered aircraft
A federal report shows that 2015 notched the highest number of accidents and serious incidents involving Swiss-registered aircraft in more than a decade.
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board’s annual reportExternal link listed 75 “accidents and serious incidents” in aviation, causing 12 deaths, last year.
The last times there were more than 70 such incidents was in 2005, when there were 71, and in 2004, when there were 73. In terms of deaths, however, the highest in the past decade were the 22 killed in 2012. The findings were first reported on Saturday by Swiss daily newspaper Blick.
Clear trends
The accidents, however, reflect usage of the least number of registered aircraft in Switzerland – some 3,494 – since at least 2004.
“In summary, it can be stated that 2015 stands out for some significantly diverging trends in the various sectors of Swiss civil aviation,” the report says.
“On the one hand, there seems to be an improving trend in flight safety in the glider and helicopter sectors, whereas the current data seems to indicate that safety in the motorised aircraft sector is deteriorating,” it says.
The report says it could not determine from the statistical data the exact reason for the trend.
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