Are older aircraft more prone to accidents and crashes?

If asked, the average layperson might guess that the older an aircraft, the more likely it is to be involved in an accident or crash. It stands to reason that older technology coupled with inevitable wear and tear would mean that an aircraft that is 30+ years old won’t be as reliable or as safe as one that rolled off the production line last year.

However, there are some flaws to this reasoning. Aviation experts state that factors like maintenance history and flight hours are far more important in determining airworthiness and safety than chronological age. Think about it – a 30 year old craft that has been lovingly maintained may very well be safer than a 10 year old craft that has been flown excessively and given poor repairs by unskilled hands.

If you’re concerned about airplane safety, you’ll have to do more than just find out the year a plane was manufactured. Flight hours, maintenance history, where the craft has been stored, and how many owners it has had are all good to know. However, given that most accidents are caused by human error, all the research in the world won’t matter if the pilot or crew isn’t up to snuff.

You can read more about airplane safety in our law library, in articles like “Are Aging Aircraft Really Safe?”, “Why Airplanes Crash Despite All Our Technology”, and “Top 6 Aviation Safety Issues”.