E-ISSN 2039-2117 ISSN 2039-9340 Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy Vol 5 No 2 January 2014 699 An Empirical Analysis of the Causes of Air Crashes from a Transport Management Perspective Mobolaji S. Stephens Department of Transport Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, PMB 704 Akure, Nigeria Wilfred I. Ukpere Department of Industrial Psychology & People Management, Faculty of Management University of Johannesburg, South Africa Corresponding email: wiukpere@uj.ac.za or wilfredisiomaukpere@gmail.com Doi:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n2p699 Abstract Aviation has changed into high level of operations technically, administratively and even technologically. This has been made possible with the introduction and manufacture of larger and faster aircrafts that greatly incorporates advanced information management technologies. With increase in the volume of traffic and the demand for air transportation, comes the risk and increase in air crashes. Causes of air crashes have been studied by various researchers and bodies. What this studied did was to examine causes of air crashes from all over the world and analyze them based on the locations of accidents to determine the causes of accidents in different locations. It was observed that certain regions were recorded to have similar causes of accidents and some others were prone to certain causes of accidents. North America had more cases of air crashes over other regions but when compared with the volume of traffic in this region one will understand why they had many more crashes than others. They can be adjudged to be safer than some other regions such as Asia and Africa. 1. Introduction The aircraft is a machine that can fly in the air either carrying passengers and or goods. However, the air transport industry is seen as an area of commerce where aircrafts are used to transport people, cargo and mail at the cheapest costs yet with the best safety measures employed. The movement is only complete when there is “safe arrival”. An aviation incident is defined as an occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operations (AirSafe.com, 2009). The aviation industry is undoubtedly the safest, fastest and most comfortable mode of transportation. This is because safety and hospitality are too great features of the industry (Stephens, 2009). However, for one reason or another air crashes occur once in a while with severe consequences: loss if lives and valuable assets. When measured on a passenger-distance calculation, air travel is the safest form of transportation available: these figures are the ones mentioned by the air industry when quoting statistics on air safety. A typical statement is this one by the BBC: "UK airline operations are among the safest anywhere. When compared against all other modes of transport on a fatality per mile basis air transport is the safest — six times safer than traveling by car and twice as safe as rail." (Howstuffworks, 2012). However, should one measured by fatalities per person transported, buses are the safest form of transportation and the number of air travel fatalities per person is surpassed only by bicycles and motorcycles. This statistic is the one used by the insurance industry when calculating insurance rates for air travel. For every billion kilometers traveled, trains have a fatality rate 12 times larger than air travel, while automobiles have a fatality rate 62 times larger. On the other hand, for every billion journeys, buses are the safest form of transportation. By the last measure, air transportation is three times more dangerous than car transportation and almost 30 times more dangerous than bus (BBC News, 2000). After the crash of Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907, Brazilian Air Force personnel recover the flight data recorder of the flight. A 2007 study found that passengers sitting at the back of a plane are 40% more likely to survive a crash than those sitting in the front, although this article also quotes Boeing, the FAA and a website on aircraft safety, all claiming that there is no safest seat. The article studied 20 crashes, not taking in account the developments in safety after those accidents (Noland, 2007). However, a flight data recorder is usually mounted in the aircraft's empennage (tail section), where it is more likely to survive a severe crash. Over 95% of people