Military Times creates a searchable aviation crash database that includes 5,500 previously undisclosed aviation mishaps

VIENNA, VA., April 9, 2018 – The Military Times produced and published an Aviation Crash Database that is first-of-its-kind and publicly accessible at militarytimes.com/aviationincrisis. The Military Times Aviation Crash Database includes 5,500 previously undisclosed reports of military aviation mishaps that occurred between 2013 and 2017. The database is searchable by location, aircraft type, military unit, service branch and date. It offers a unique public service to anyone inside or outside the military seeking to assess aviation readiness within specific subsets of the military community.

The Military Times Aviation Crash Database offers unprecedented insights into the mounting problems facing the aviation communities in the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. It was compiled by Military Times using data obtained from the military services via numerous Freedom of Information Act requests. The database shows that in the Navy and Marine Corps, aviation mishaps are up about 80 percent between 2013 and 2017, a far more severe increase than those reported by the Air Force and Army. At the same time, mishap rates across the force have risen 40 percent.

Amid growing concerns nationwide about fatal military aviation crashes in recent weeks, The Military Times also published a multi-media investigative report on April 9 uncovering that at least 133 service members died in aircraft accidents during the past five years. The special report includes an in-depth analysis of the problems facing the military aviation community, stemming from the Congressional budget cuts of 2013 and the cascading impact of personnel cuts, the loss of highly skilled maintainers, dwindling flight hours for pilots and retention concerns across the force.

For additional information or to request a media interview with Pentagon Bureau Chief Tara Copp who led the investigation, please contact:

Stephanie Gildea
Marketing Director
sgildea@mco.com