(JUBA) – The number of people killed in business jet accidents worldwide has increased significantly in the first half of 2025, with South Sudan recording one of the most deadly crashes this year, according to preliminary data from Aviation International News (AIN).
A total of 18 fatal turbine business aircraft accidents claimed the lives of 81 passengers and crew between January and June 2025. This marks a steep increase from the same period in 2024, when 17 fatal accidents resulted in 54 deaths.
Among the most tragic incidents was the crash of a Ugandan registered Beechcraft 1900D in South Sudan, which killed all 20 people on board. The aircraft, operating as a charter flight, crashed during its journey across the region, contributing to over half of the fatalities from non U.S registered business turboprops in the first six months of the year.
In comparison, U.S registered business jets were the only category to see a decrease in fatalities. Last year, three fatal accidents involving U.S. registered jets led to nine deaths, whereas in 2025, the same number of accidents resulted in eight fatalities.
One of the U.S. accidents occurred on 10 February when a Learjet 35A veered off the runway while landing in Scottsdale, Arizona, and struck a parked Gulfstream G200. The Learjet pilot died.
On 13 March, a Cessna Citation CJ2 crashed shortly after take off during a ferry flight, killing the sole pilot.
On 22 May, a Citation S550 crashed during an approach near San Diego, killing six people including the pilot. All these accidents were conducted under Part 91 regulations, which govern private non commercial flights in the United States.
Fatal accidents involving non-U.S registered business jets also increased. In the first half of 2025, four crashes resulted in 15 deaths, compared to just one fatal crash and two deaths during the same period in 2024.
On 9 January, a privately operated Brazilian CitationJet CJ1+ overshot the runway, broke apart, and caught fire. The pilot did not survive. On 29 January, a Venezuelan government operated Citation S/II crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all three occupants.
A particularly tragic incident occurred on 31 January when a chartered Mexican Learjet 55 air ambulance crashed in Philadelphia shortly after takeoff.
The flight was bound for Mexico. Six people aboard the aircraft were killed, including two pilots and four passengers. One person on the ground also died.
On 3 June, another fatal crash involving a Venezuelan-registered Citation I occurred in the mountains near Caracas. All five people on board were killed.
U.S. registered turboprops were involved in five fatal accidents that killed 18 people. This was up from four accidents and seven fatalities in the same timeframe last year. But the sharpest increase in deaths occurred in non U.S. turboprops, where six fatal accidents caused 40 deaths, half of which occurred in South Sudan.
The 20 deaths in the South Sudan crash marked a major aviation tragedy in the region.
Although business aviation remains statistically safer than many forms of land transport, the recent figures underline the risks still associated with private and chartered air travel, especially in countries with limited aviation oversight.
