HC Deb 19 January 2000 vol 342 cc445-6W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the latest estimate by the Civil Aviation Authority of the statistical probability in a year of a ground fatality occurring as a result of aircraft crashing on take-off or landing at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Stansted. [104634]

Mr. Mullin

The Civil Aviation Authority has identified two landing or take-off accidents within the United Kingdom during the last 40 years in which there were fatalities on the ground. These took place at Gatwick and Dunsfold and involved, respectively, two and six such fatalities. The Authority estimates that some 18.2 million aircraft movements took place at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted over the same period. Because of the very small number of accidents involving ground fatalities it is not possible to produce a statistically meaningful estimate for individual airports.