RITA | BTS | Table 2-15: Number of Pilot-Reported Near Midair Collisions (NMAC) by Degree of Hazard

Table 2-15: Number of Pilot-Reported Near Midair Collisions (NMAC) by Degree of Hazard

	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Total, all degrees of hazard	568	758	454	348	311	254	275	238	194	238	211	257	239	211	180	161	144	(R) 137	106	108	92	(R) 72	90	102
Critical^a	118	180	74	52	46	35	47	32	26	31	22	28	30	37	26	15	16	14	6	15	10	10	13	14
Potential^b	319	423	266	197	195	158	139	139	101	105	100	110	130	96	85	88	62	78	55	52	43	37	45	37
No hazard^c	122	133	114	99	70	61	71	63	55	70	53	55	49	51	42	37	31	20	17	21	11	12	11	27
Unclassified^d	9	22	0	0	0	0	18	4	12	32	36	64	30	27	27	21	35	25	28	20	28	(R) 13	21	24
NMAC involving aircraft operating under 14 CFR 121^e	U	U	136	117	76	60	71	50	56	82	70	66	75	48	53	55	44	42	24	24	8	(R) 18	29	32

KEY: R = revised, U = data are unavailable.

^aA situation where collision avoidance was due to chance, rather than an act on the part of the pilot. Less than 100 feet of aircraft separation would be considered critical.

^bAn incident that would probably have resulted in a collision if no action had been taken by either pilot. Less than 500 feet would usually be required in this case.

^c When direction and altitude would have made a midair collision improbable regardless of evasive action taken.

^dNo determination could be made due to insufficient evidence or unusual circumstances, or because incident is still under investigation.

^eBefore Mar. 20, 1997, 14 CFR 121 applied only to aircraft with more than 30 seats or a maximum payload capacity of more than 7,500 pounds. Since Mar. 20, 1997, 14 CFR 121 includes aircraft with 10 or more seats that formerly operated under 14 CFR 125. This change makes it difficult to compare pre-1997 data with more recent years' data.

NOTES

NMACs are reported voluntarily to the FAA so these numbers may not be representative. Reporters consist of pilots of air carriers, general aviation and other aircraft involved in public-use operations. Incidents involving military aircraft may be included if they also involved a civilian aircraft.

SOURCES

All data except NMAC involving 121 aircraft:

1980-85: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Statistical Handbook Annual Report (Washington, DC: Annual issues) and personal communication, Aug. 6, 2002.

1990-2011: Ibid., Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) System, NMACS Database Query Tool, available at http://www.asias.faa.gov/portal/page/portal/asias_pages/asias_home/ as of May 2, 2012.

NMAC involving 121 aircraft:

1980-85: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Resource Management, personal communication, Aug. 6, 2002.

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