Definition
An occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft that takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and the time all such persons have disembarked, in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage.
Plain English
An event during a flight — from the moment people board until everyone has gotten off — in which someone is killed, someone is seriously hurt, or the aircraft itself is significantly damaged.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in safety reporting, aircraft records, insurance discussions, and FAA or NTSB material after a serious aircraft event.
Derivation
From Latin 'accidere,' meaning 'to happen' or 'to fall upon.' In aviation, the word keeps the sense of an unplanned event, but the FAA narrows it to a specific legal definition tied to injury or substantial damage.
Why Pilots Care
Triggers mandatory NTSB notification, shapes legal and insurance outcomes, and supplies data for preventing future occurrences.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “accident” means any small mistake or minor scrape. In aviation, an accident means a serious injury, death, or major aircraft damage tied to aircraft operation.
Example Sentence 1
Because the hard landing caused substantial damage to the wing spar, the event was classified as an accident and reported to the NTSB.
Example Sentence 2
Investigators determined the mid-air collision met the definition of an accident because of the fatalities involved.