Why do small planes seem to crash more often than big planes?

It's easy to fly a small aeroplane, and takes only a little skill. If you do get it badly wrong, only a few people are affected. Those people are usually enthusiasts or participants who accepted the risks and did it anyway. read more

It’s easy to fly a small aeroplane, and takes only a little skill. If you do get it badly wrong, only a few people are affected. Those people are usually enthusiasts or participants who accepted the risks and did it anyway. read more

Among those who have died in small plane crashes over the years: John F. Kennedy Jr., Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Denver, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, Jiles “the Big Bopper” Richardson, Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, golfer Payne Stewart and Lewis Katz, a former owner of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, who died this summer. read more

There are more small airplanes than big ones. The pilots of the big airplanes are very experienced and well-trained, and the big airplanes are very well-maintained. Pretty simple, really - And very similar to the reason that cars crash more often than buses. read more

There were 30,800 fatal car crashes in 2012 and zero commercial airline crashes. A domestic commercial flight hasn’t crashed since 2009. Most planes that crash are small and private, like the twin-engine Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 that crashed into a suburban Maryland home on Monday morning, killing six people in Gaithersburg. read more

Pilots of small planes are often inexperienced and untrained which results in wrong decisions. For example flying during bad weather conditions, flying in unknown regions (mountains etc.), or flying too slow (especially during takeoff and landing). read more