The total combined number of fixed-wing aircraft accidents, incidents and fatalities declined for the U.S.-registered and non-U.S.-registered turbine business aircraft fleet in the first three months of this year versus the same period last year, according to data compiled by AIN. Some individual segments were inconsistent with the overall results, however. Specifically, accidents involving U.S.-registered business jets and propjets resulted in 15 fatalities in the first quarter compared with 22 in the same period last year.

Five people perished in two crashes of N-numbered business jets in the first quarter versus seven killed in two accidents in the corresponding period last year. (All four crashes involved Part 91 private operations.) The two fatal accidents in the first quarter occurred in January: a Challenger 601-3R mishap in Aspen, Colo., that killed the copilot; and a U.S.-registered Citation 501SP crash in Germany that killed all four people aboard.

There was one Part 91K fractional jet incident in the last quarter versus one nonfatal accident and one incident in the same quarter last year.

The number of accidents involving U.S.-registered turboprops declined by half from the first quarter of last year to the same period this year, to two nonfatal occurrences from four and to three fatal crashes from six. The number of fatalities also declined, with 15 people dying in the first quarter of last year versus five in the recent quarter. All three fatal turboprop accidents this year occurred under Part 91, compared with five last year, when one crash involved an aircraft operating under Part 135 air-taxi rules.

There were no accidents or incidents in either quarter involving Part 91K turboprop operations.