TSB # S 01/20042003 TSB Preliminary Transportation Occurrence Statistics(Gatineau, Quebec) February 19, 2004 - The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its preliminary 2003 transportation occurrence statistics. All modes but pipeline show an increase in reported accidents compared to 2002 but comparable or lower than the 1998-2002 average. The number of air fatalities increased from last year while marine and rail fatalities showed a considerable decrease. Reportable air and rail incidents decreased compared to last year, while marine and pipeline incidents showed an increase.Marine (Table 1)There were 541 marine accidents reported to the TSB in 2003, a 12% increase from the 2002 total of 485 but comparable to the 1998-2002 average of 537. Shipping accidents, which accounted for 88% of marine accidents, totalled 476 in 2003, up from 449 in 2002 but comparable to the 1998-2002 average of 477. Half of all vessels involved in shipping accidents were fishing vessels. In 2003, marine fatalities reached a 29 year low of 18, down from 28 in 2002 and the 1998-2002 average of 34. This decrease is mainly accounted for by a reduction in shipping accident fatalities which totalled 9 in 2003, down from 19 in 2002 and the 1998-2002 average of 21. Thirty-one vessels were reported lost in 2003, comparable to the 2002 total of 32 but lower than the 1998-2002 average of 43. There were 221 marine incidents reported in 2003, up from 174 in 2002 and the 1998-2002 average of 201.Pipeline (Table 2) In 2003, 20 pipeline accidents were reported to the TSB, equal to the 2002 total and the 1998-2002 average. Of those 20 accidents, 4 involved damage to a pipeline, down 3 from the 2002 total and the 1998-2002 average. The other 16 accidents occurred at facilities such as pump stations and compressor stations. Pipeline activity is estimated to have increased by 5% over last year, yielding an accident rate of 1.5 pipeline accidents per exajoule in 2003, down from 1.58 in 2002 and the 1998-2002 average rate of 1.67. The last fatal pipeline accident in the portion of the industry under federal jurisdiction occurred in 1988. No serious injuries resulted from pipeline accidents in 2003. Between 1998 and 2002, 5 serious injuries occurred, including 4 from a single accident in 1998. Reportable incidents numbered 38 in 2003, compared to the 2002 total and the 1998-2002 average of 35. In 2003, 84% of incidents involved uncontained release of products. Rail (Table 3)A total of 1028 rail accidents were reported to the TSB in 2003, a 4% increase from last year's total of 984 but a 3% decrease from the 1998-2002 average of 1062. Rail activity has been relatively constant over the last 6 years, averaging 89.6 million train-miles annually, yielding an accident rate of 11.5 accidents per million train-miles in 2003, up from 11.0 in 2002 but down from the 1998-2002 average rate of 11.9. Rail-related fatalities reached a 21 year low of 79 in 2003, compared to 96 in 2002 and the 1998-2002 average of 98. This decrease is mainly due to a reduction in crossing-related fatalities which totalled 27 in 2003, a 41% and 31% decrease respectively over the 2002 total of 46 and the 1998-2002 average of 39. In 2003, 295 rail incidents were reported, compared to 303 in 2002 and the 1998-2002 average of 345.Air (Table 4)Canadian-registered aircraft, other than ultralights, were involved in 297 reported accidents in 2003, which is an 8% increase from 2002 total of 274. However, this is an 8% decrease from the 1998-2002 average of 323. The 2003 level of flying activity is estimated to have increased by 3% from 2002 to 3,789,725 hours, yielding an accident rate of 7.6 accidents per 100,000 flying hours compared to the 2002 accident rate of 7.2 and the 1998-2002 average rate of 8.3. Canadian-registered aircraft, other than ultralights, were involved in 31 fatal occurrences with 58 fatalities in 2003, slightly fewer than the 1998-2002 average of 33 fatal occurrences with 65 fatalities. About half the fatal occurrences involved privately operated aircraft; 3 of the remaining 14 fatal occurrences involved helicopters. In 2003 a total of 831 incidents were reported, 4% less than the previous year (865) and 6% more than the 1998-2002 average (783).The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is an independent agency operating under its own Act of Parliament. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.Note : In general, an accident is a transportation occurrence that involves serious personal injury or death, or significant damage to property, in particular to the extent that safe operations are affected. An incident is a transportation occurrence whose consequences are less serious than those of an accident, or that could potentially have resulted in an accident. The specific definitions of an accident and incident vary according to the transportation mode. Details are available on the TSB website under TSB Regulations.- 30 - Table 1 Marine Occurrences 2003 2003 2002 1998-2002 Average Total Marine Accidents 541 485 537 Shipping Accidents 476 449 477 Collision 24 15 17 Capsizing 11 14 11 Foundering/Sinking 30 26 32 Fire/Explosion 64 53 67 Grounding 117 129 128 Striking 76 72 80 Ice damage 28 2 7 Propeller/Rudder/Structural damage 38 43 32 Flooding 49 52 61 Other 39 43 43 Accidents Aboard Ship 65 36 60 Vessels Involved in Shipping Accidents 521 483 519 Cargo 17 23 26 Bulk carrier/OBO 48 57 63 Tanker 15 9 13 Tug 33 24 36 Barge 31 28 30 Ferry 24 21 23 Passenger 40 26 22 Fishing 260 238 251 Service vessel 19 27 28 Non-Commercial 15 20 17 Other 13 14 12 By Vessel Flag 5211 483 519 Canadian (Non-fishing) 211 192 198 Canadian (Fishing) 253 232 241 Foreign 57 59 80 Vessels Lost (By Gross Tonnage) 31 32 43 150 to 1,599 grt 2 2 1 60 to 149 grt 1 1 2 15 to 59 grt 7 4 5 Less than 15 grt 8 12 17 Unknown tonnage 2 6 7 Fatalities 18 28 34 Shipping Accidents 9 19 21 Accidents Aboard Ship 9 9 13 Injuries 89 78 81 Shipping Accidents 29 42 26 Accidents Aboard Ship 60 36 56 Reported Incidents(Mandatory) 221 174 201 Close-quarters situation 60 29 44 Engine/Rudder/Propeller 81 57 80 Cargo trouble 3 5 5 Personal incidents 14 8 6 Other 63 75 66 All five-year averages have been rounded. Occurrence data do not include pleasure craft except when the latter are involved in an occurrence with a commercial vessel. The majority of vessels listed under unknown tonnage are suspected of being less than 15 grt. (2003 figures are preliminary as of 12 January 2004 and subject to change). Source: Transportation Safety Board of Canada Table 2 Pipeline Occurrence Statistics - 2003 2003 2002 1998-2002 Average Accidents Line Pipe 3rd Party Damage with release 1 0 0 Disturbance of Supporting Environment with release 0 0 1 Corrosion/Environmental Cracking 0 0 1 Fire/Ignition/Explosion 1 3 2 Other Damage with Release 2 4 4 Total 4 7 7 Other Facilities* 3rd Party Damage 1 0 0 Disturbance of Supporting Environment with release 0 0 0 Corrosion/Environmental Cracking 0 0 1 Fire/Ignition/Explosion 14 6 6 Other Damage with Release 1 7 6 Total 16 13 13 Incidents Line Pipe 3rd Party Damage / No Release 2 2 1 Disturbance of Supporting Environment / No release 0 1 0 Uncontained Release 3 3 5 Other 0 0 1 Total 5 6 8 Other Facilities* 3rd Party Damage / No Release 0 0 0 Disturbance of Supporting Environment / No release 0 0 0 Uncontained Release 29 25 24 Other 4 4 3 Total 33 29 27 * Includes Compressor Stations, Pump Stations, Meter Stations, Gas Processing Plants and other related facilities. Figures are preliminary as of January 14, 2004 All 5-year averages have been rounded. The totals sometimes do not coincide to the sum of these averages. Table 3 Railway Occurrences and Casualties - 2003 2003 2002 1998-2002 Average Accidents Main-Track Train Collisions 6 8 10 Main-Track Train Derailments 148 116 118 Crossings 248 261 272 Non-Main-Track Train Collisions 104 112 105 Non-Main-Track Train Derailments 387 347 382 Collisions/Derailments Involving Track Units 23 11 17 Employee/Passenger 6 8 10 Trespassers 68 73 81 Fires/Explosions 23 24 39 Other 15 24 28 Total 1 028 984 1,062 Incidents Dangerous Goods Leaker 151 167 198 Main-track Switch in Abnormal Position 11 9 13 Movement Exceeds Limits of Authority 103 93 102 Runaway Rolling Stock 13 19 14 Others 17 15 18 Total 295 303 345 Million Train-miles* 89.70 89.60 89.50 Accidents/Million Train-miles 11.46 10.98 11.87 Accidents Involving Dangerous Goods Main-track Train Derailments 37 24 23 Crossings 3 6 8 Non-Main-Track Train Collisions 38 48 48 Non-Main-Track Train Derailments 138 130 135 All Others 8 13 13 Total 224 221 228 Accidents with a DG Release 8 5 6 Accidents Involving Passenger Trains 53 67 71 Fatalities Crossings 27 46 39 Trespassers 46 50 57 All Others 6 0 2 Total 79 96 98 Serious Injuries Crossings 50 42 39 Trespassers 21 21 23 All Others 10 10 16 Total 81 73 81 * Train-miles estimated. (Source: Transports Canada) Figures are preliminary as of January 14, 2004 All 5-year averages have been rounded. The totals sometimes do not coincide to the sum of these averages. Table 4 Aviation Occurrences and Casualties - 2003 2003 2002 1998-2002 Average Canadian-Registered Aircraft Accidents1 297 274 323 Aeroplanes Involved2 244 210 263 Airliners 7 6 8 Commuters 9 6 8 Air Taxis 35 41 60 Aerial Work 16 12 17 Corporate 2 2 6 State 3 4 2 Private/Other3 170 139 161 Helicopters Involved 44 56 52 Other Aircraft Involved4 12 10 13 Hours Flown (thousands)5 3 790 3 694 3 799 Accidents Rate (per 100 000)6 7.6 7.2 8.3 Fatal Accidents 31 30 33 Aeroplanes Involved2 26 22 25 Airliners 0 0 0 Commuter Aircraft 0 0 1 Air Taxi 5 4 5 Aerial Work 4 1 1 Corporate 0 0 1 State 0 2 1 Private/Other3 17 15 16 Helicopters Involved 3 6 7 Other Aircraft Involved4 3 3 3 Fatalities 58 50 65 Serious Injuries 44 42 44 Canadian - Registered Ultralight Aircraft Accidents 45 36 37 Fatal Accidents 7 9 7 Fatalities 10 12 11 Serious Injuries 14 4 7 Foreign - Registered Aircraft Accidents in Canada 29 13 20 Fatal Accidents 6 1 5 Fatalities 8 2 55 Serious Injuries 3 0 2 All Aircraft: Reportable Incidents 831 865 783 Risk of Collision / Loss of Separation 154 194 182 Declared Emergency 291 280 239 Engine Failure 131 160 164 Smoke/Fire 103 100 97 Collision 16 22 12 Other 1369 109 89 1 Ultralight Aircraft Excluded. 2 As some accidents may involve multiple aircraft, the number of aircraft involved may differ from the total number of accidents 3 Other: Contains, but is not limited to, organizations that rent aircraft (i.e. flying schools, flying clubs, etc.) 4 Includes Gliders, Balloons and Gyrocopters. 5 Source: Transport Canada (2003 hours flown are estimated.) 6 Accident rate does not include "Other Aircraft Involved" Figures are preliminary as of January 15, 2004. All five-year averages have been rounded. Totals sometimes do not coincide to the sum of averages.
