Civil aviation mortality, state differences, and the role of multi-fatality aircraft accidents

Mortality due to transportation-related causes may differ by state of residence and state of occurrence. Aircraft accidents can cause multiple fatalities due to a single event. Population-based state-specific civil aviation accident mortality rates were calculated using National Center for Health Statistics data for the years 1980-89. Aircraft accident information for the same period was obtained from National Transportation Safety Board sources. The national 10-year mean mortality rate for civil aviation-related causes was 5.2 deaths/1,000,000 general population. State-specific mortality rates by state of residence varied between 2.1 and 79.9 deaths/1,000,000 general population. Rates by state of death occurrence varied between 1.5 and 98.0 deaths/1,000,000. Mortality rates, calculated by state of residence, differed from rates calculated by state of occurrence for most states. For some states the differences were considerable. Ten states experienced at least one aircraft accident between 1980 and 1989 which accounted for 20 or more fatalities. These multi-fatality events had a substantial effect on state-specific aviation-related mortality rates.