Selected SoCal Airport Accident and Traffic Volume Data

[Doug Robertson]

These data will cover Van Nuys VNY, one of the busiest, if not the annual busiest General Aviation airport in the USA, Camarillo CMA, Oxnard OXR, Santa Barbara SBA, Santa Monica SMO and, of course, Santa Paula SZP. The eleven year data period is from 2000 to 2010, inclusive.

Camarillo Airport CMA, Volume: 1,873,775. Aircraft crashes: 20

Van Nuys VNY, Volume: 4,577,957. Aircraft crashes: 15

Santa Barbara SBA, Volume: 1,531,761. Aircraft crashes: 10

Oxnard Airport OXR, Volume: 970,243. Aircraft crashes: 8

Santa Monica Airport SMO, Volume: 1,489,192. Aircraft Crashes: 7

Santa Paula Airport SZP, ANNUAL VOLUME Average: about 97,090. Aircraft crashes: 6

So, the strictly General Aviation airport CMA has outpaced all the others reported in accidents per volume. Interpolating, Santa Paula over the eleven years is slightly safer than Oxnard with probably more eleven year volume than Oxnard, despite SZP having no Aircraft Traffic Control Tower. All the other airports have ATCT aircraft movement oversight during at least prime hours of operation. Santa Barbara and Oxnard have regional aircraft passenger service, although Oxnard lost its last aircraft passenger service last mid-year and has yet to get a replacement passenger service to Los Angeles LAX etc. None of these airports have Military aircraft operations; the California Air National Guard left VNY for basing at NTD, Point Mugu prior to the data history period.

Comments welcome!

[tbpera]

used to work South Lake Tahoe as ATC - we had a crash every 2 weeks during summer months - density altitude - crash rate there was unbelievable!