I think that the stats (and using the contents of the AAIB hangar as a marker) would be based far more on the experience levels of the pilots than the type of aviation. Hang-gliders and microlights/ultra light and gyrocopters give AAIB most trade. The hours flown in rotary in support of gas and oil drilling all year round in some pretty cack weather at times do much to demonstrate the safety of helicopter passenger carrying. Across the board flight safety culture and technology is having dividends in safety. The problem is that an airliner loss such as a TU154 will muddy the fiqures especially if a fundamentally safe aeroplane is lost due to insufficient maintenance or crew currency. How different from the seventies when aeroplanes seemed averse to flight and attracted to terra firma in small pieces.