Mister Approach;
We can concern ourselves with the MPL's abbreviated curriculum and the 250 hr 'virgins' ability to avail him/herself in a situation but we certainly cannot dispute the irrevocable fact that accidents rates during the first decade of the 21st century have remained constant , more than we would like but nevertheless ,not on the increase.
Let's move forward , learning , embracing and adapting.
But most importantly - not regressing
These are noble sentiments. You will not find anyone here disagreeing with your wishes.
The reality however, is quite different.
The
commercial aircraft accident statistics do not agree with your "irrevocable fact" statements regarding accident rates remaining constant, and "not on the increase."
PTH voices it well - "Zero" is what the rate should be and if not, it is where this industry should be aiming.
The rise shown in the Boeing documents doesn't make a trend yet as it only began climbing in 2006. But it is neither flat at zero, nor is it decreasing. There are clear reasons for this and this and other threads here are telling the industry why.
Below are three graphs from the larger
Boeing "Statistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents 1959 - 2009" pdf. The first two graphs show the worldwide commercial jet fleet fatal accident rate and the second shows the same for only the US and Canada. For those who wish to compare which airplanes are involved, the third graph shows the Worldwide Commercial Jet Fleet Hull Loss and Hull Loss with Fatalities rates. The curves are slightly flatter for the worldwide fatal accident rate but sharply higher in the US and Canada.
PJ2
(better image quality can be had in the original report)
Accident Rates and Onboard Fatalities by Year
US and Canadian Operators Accident Rates by Year
Accident Rates by Airplane Type
