Datanomics: Pilot error identified as top cause for air accidents

Between 2012 and 2025, the AAIB investigated 99 air accidents, 13 of which involved commercial airlines.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report on Saturday on the Air India 171 crash, stating that the engine fuel switches appeared to have been  “cut off” seconds after the flight took off.  However, it remains unclear whether the pilots themselves cut off the engine switches.  Hence, it is too early to conclude whether pilot error was responsible for the accident. However,  pilot error did emerge as a major cause of air crashes between 2014 and 2025, according to AAIB’s investigations.  

 

Another perspective comes from a 2024 survey by the Safety Matters Foundation, which found rising