Accidents involving N-numbered business jets operating outside the U.S. drove an increase in the total number of mishaps and fatalities in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year. According to preliminary figures compiled by AIN, there were 22 accidents, three of them fatal, in the first six months of this year versus 19, of which one was fatal, in the same period last year. There were no fatal accidents involving U.S.-registered business jets in the second quarter of this year; two of the three fatal accidents in the first quarter of this year occurred outside the U.S. and accounted for nine deaths in the aircraft and two on the ground. In all, 14 people were killed in three crashes by N-numbered business jets in the first half of this year compared with four people who died in a single jet crash in the first half of last year. The additional nonfatal crash outside the U.S. occurred on May 4 and involved a privately owned Sabreliner that went off the runway while landing in Venezuela.
