Aviation accidents and incidents

<p>An aviation accident is an event during aircraft operation that causes serious injury, death, or destruction. An aviation incident is any operating event that compromises safety but does not progress to an aviation accident. Preventing accidents and incidents is the main goal of <a href="/facts/Aviation_safety/tFTm3S2p">aviation safety</a>.
</p><p>One of the earliest recorded aviation accidents occurred on May 10, 1785, when a hot air balloon crashed in Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland. The town was seriously damaged from the resultant fire that burned down over 130 homes. The first involving a powered aircraft was the crash of a <a href="/facts/Wright_Model_A/JBKw2Kt3">Wright Model A</a> aircraft at <a href="/facts/Fort_Myer/a0wle5Gl">Fort Myer, Virginia</a>, in the United States on September 17, 1908, injuring its co-inventor and pilot, <a href="/facts/Orville_Wright/byU6xEkD">Orville Wright</a>, and killing the passenger, Signal Corps lieutenant <a href="/facts/Thomas_Selfridge/Ns7McyGX">Thomas Selfridge</a>.
</p>

Aviation accidents and incidents open-in-new

Aviation accidents and incidents