Military Safety: Analysis of DOD's On-Duty Non-Aviation Accident
Fatalities (Letter Report, 10/16/98, GAO/NSIAD-99-14).
GAO provided an analysis of the Department of Defense's (DOD) military
personnel fatalities during 1988 through 1996 as a result of on-duty,
non-aviation accidents, focusing on: (1) the causes of non-aviation
fatalities; (2) the types of activities involved in these fatal
accidents; and (3) trends in DOD and service on-duty accidental
fatalities.
GAO noted that: (1) military vehicles were the leading cause of the
1,108 DOD military personnel fatalities that were attributable to
on-duty, non-aviation accidents from 1988 to 1996; (2) vehicle accidents
accounted for 466, or 42 percent, of these fatalities and resulted in
more on-duty deaths than any other type of accident in each of the
services except the Navy; (3) furthermore, Army vehicle accidents were
responsible for 333 deaths, or 30 percent of DOD's non-aviation
fatalities and 71 percent of DOD's vehicle accident fatalities; (4) the
causes for the remaining 642 fatalities included accidents with
explosives and weapons, parachuting, physical training, and other ground
and sea activities; (5) military training activities were involved in
500 of the 1,108 on-duty accidental fatalities; (6) of these fatalities,
454 resulted from accidents involving individual or unit training,
combat exercises, or afloat operations; (7) the remaining 46 fatalities
involved students in the services' training school programs, such as
initial recruit, infantry, and airborne training; (8) the other 608
on-duty accidental fatalities occurred in other activities, such as
peace operations and maintenance and repair of vehicles and equipment;
(9) DOD's on-duty, non-aviation accident fatality rate declined about 42
percent between 1988 and 1996, from 4.3 to 2.5 deaths per 100,000
non-aviation military personnel; (10) this decline is largely due to a
decrease in the DOD vehicle accident fatality rate, from 1.9 to 1.0
deaths per 100,000 non-aviation military personnel; (11) the annual
number of fatalities fluctuated over the period but declined overall
from 139 in 1988 to 58 in 1996; and (12) the overall fatality rate and
the annual vehicle fatality rate decreased for the Army, the Navy, and
the Marine Corps but increased for the Air Force.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: NSIAD-99-14
TITLE: Military Safety: Analysis of DOD's On-Duty Non-Aviation
Accident Fatalities
DATE: 10/16/98
SUBJECT: Accidents
Transportation statistics
Military training
Military land vehicles
Traffic accidents
Armed forces reserve training
Naval training
Marine Corps training
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Cover
================================================================ COVER
Report to the Secretary of Defense
October 1998
MILITARY SAFETY - ANALYSIS OF
DOD'S ON-DUTY NON-AVIATION
ACCIDENT FATALITIES
GAO/NSIAD-99-14
Military Safety
(703180)
Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV
DOD - Department of Defense
Letter
=============================================================== LETTER
B-280749
October 16, 1998
The Honorable William S. Cohen
The Secretary of Defense
Dear Mr. Secretary:
This report provides our analysis of Department of Defense (DOD)
military personnel fatalities during 1988 through 1996 as a result of
on-duty, non-aviation accidents.\1 Specifically, we assessed (1) the
causes of non-aviation fatalities, (2) the types of activities
involved in these fatal accidents, and (3) trends in DOD and service
on-duty accidental fatalities. In July 1997, you requested that the
DOD Inspector General evaluate all noncombatant deaths involving DOD
personnel. Because we had already gathered data for on-duty
accidental deaths, we agreed with the Inspector General's office to
report on these accidents while it reported on off-duty accidents
that occurred during the same time period. In June 1998, the DOD
Inspector General issued its report.\2
--------------------
\1 We have previously reported on aviation-related accidents. See
Military Aircraft Safety: Serious Accidents Remain at Historically
Low Levels (GAO/NSIAD-98-95BR, Mar. 23, 1998) and Military Aircraft
Safety: Significant Improvements Since 1975 (GAO/NSIAD-96-69BR, Feb.
1, 1996).
\2 Accidental Off-Duty Deaths in DOD, Report number 98-153, June 15,
1998.
BACKGROUND
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :1
On-duty accidents involve DOD military personnel who are performing
officially assigned duties in noncombatant situations.\3 These duties
include training, travel, activities that are incidental to
assignments on DOD installations, compulsory physical training and
sports activities, and all activities aboard vessels. Each of the
services has a safety center that investigates fatal and other
serious accidents. These centers are the Naval Safety Center,
Norfolk, Virginia, which also serves the Marine Corps; the Air Force
Safety Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; and the Army
Safety Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama. The services also maintain
their own databases of information on aviation and non-aviation
accidents. Aviation accidents are flight or flight-related mishaps;
non-aviation accidents include ground and afloat mishaps.\4
Between 1988 and 1996, 2,092 DOD military personnel died in on-duty
accidents. Of these fatalities, 984 (47 percent) occurred due to
aviation accidents and 1,108 (53 percent) resulted from non-aviation
accidents. Of the non-aviation accidents, 941 (85 percent) occurred
on the ground, and 167 (15 percent) were afloat.\5
--------------------
\3 Off-duty accidents involve DOD military personnel who are not in
an on-duty status, are on leave, have departed their work location,
are driving to and from work, or are participating in voluntary
sports activities. According to the DOD Inspector General's report,
4,698 DOD military personnel died between 1988 and 1996 as a result
of off-duty accidents.
\4 Non-aviation accidents also include those aircraft-related mishaps
in which the fatalities or injuries were caused by another service's
aircraft.
\5 These percentages have been rounded.
RESULTS IN BRIEF
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :2
Military vehicles were the leading cause of the 1,108 DOD military
personnel fatalities that were attributable to on-duty, non-aviation
accidents from 1988 to 1996.\6 Vehicle accidents accounted for 466,
or 42 percent, of these fatalities and resulted in more on-duty
deaths than any other type of accident in each of the services except
the Navy. Furthermore, Army vehicle accidents were responsible for
333 deaths, or 30 percent of DOD's non-aviation fatalities and 71
percent of DOD's vehicle accident fatalities. The causes for the
remaining 642 fatalities included accidents with explosives and
weapons, parachuting, physical training, and other ground and sea
activities.
Military training activities were involved in 500 of the 1,108
on-duty accidental fatalities. Of these fatalities, 454 resulted
from accidents involving individual or unit training, combat
exercises, or afloat operations. The remaining 46 fatalities
involved students in the services' training school programs, such as
initial recruit, infantry, and airborne training, as well as Navy
Seal and Army Ranger qualification training. The other 608 on-duty
accidental fatalities occurred in other activities, such as peace
operations and maintenance and repair of vehicles and equipment.
DOD's on-duty, non-aviation accident fatality rate declined about 42
percent between 1988 and 1996, from 4.3 to 2.5 deaths per 100,000
non-aviation military personnel. This decline is largely due to a
decrease in the DOD vehicle accident fatality rate, from 1.9 to 1.0
deaths per 100,000 non-aviation military personnel. The annual
number of fatalities fluctuated over the period but declined overall,
from 139 in 1988 to 58 in 1996. The overall fatality rate and the
annual vehicle fatality rate decreased for the Army, the Navy, and
the Marine Corps, but increased for the Air Force.
Appendixes I through III present detailed information on the results
of our analysis.
--------------------
\6 Military vehicles include tactical vehicles, such as M1 Abrams
Tanks, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, High Mobility Multipurpose
Wheeled Vehicles, and 2.5- and 5-ton trucks, and nontactical
vehicles, such as buses, vans, and cars.
AGENCY COMMENTS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :3
In written comments on a draft of this report, DOD stated that it was
pleased with our in-depth analysis of its safety performance, and
noted that our analysis substantiated what the Department's internal
oversight has observed over the years. The Department also stated
that it is proud of its accomplishments to date but recognizes that
there is much yet to do because even one accident is too many. DOD's
comments appear in their entirety in appendix IV.
SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :4
To analyze DOD on-duty accidental deaths, we obtained
computer-processed accident and injury data from Army, Air Force, and
Navy safety centers for 1987 through 1996. Each center provided
computer records of all on-duty accidents that involved active or
reserve Army, Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps military personnel and
resulted in a fatality, permanent total or permanent partial
disability injury. We excluded from our review all accidents that
(1) involved only property damage; (2) occurred in 1987 because
detailed records for that year were incomplete or not readily
available; and (3) were classified as nonreportable mishaps, as
defined in DOD Instruction 6055.7.\7
To validate the number of accidents and fatalities, we conducted a
computer-assisted analysis of 1,469 accidents. For each of the 1,469
accidents, we reviewed the services' accident narrative descriptions
and other information and independently derived (1) the primary
factors causing or contributing to the accidents and resulting
fatalities and (2) the types of training and nontraining activities
at the time of the accidents. From this information we determined
accident causes and the activities involved when the accident
occurred. We counted accidents as training-related if they were
directly or indirectly related to unit training activities, required
physical training, combat exercises, or service training school
programs. We also counted as training-related all Navy afloat
fatalities.
We calculated non-aviation fatalities per 100,000 military personnel
based on data obtained from DOD's Defense Manpower Data Center. The
data we used to calculate non-aviation fatality rates consisted of
each service's total active and reserve yearly end strength for 1988
through 1996, less air crew personnel. DOD established the Manpower
Data Center to collect and maintain accurate, readily available
DOD-wide manpower and personnel data. The data are used to support
the management information needs of customers both inside and outside
DOD.
We conducted our review from April 1997 to June 1998 in accordance
with generally accepted government auditing standards.
--------------------
\7 Examples of nonreportable mishaps include hostile or terrorist
acts, nuclear substances, and suicides.
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :4.1
We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional
committees and Members of Congress; the Secretaries of the Army, the
Navy, and the Air Force; and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. We
will also make copies available to other interested parties on
request.
Please contact me on (202) 512-5140 if you or your staff have any
questions concerning this report. Major contributors to this report
are Carol R. Schuster; Reginald L. Furr, Jr.; Kevin C. Handley;
and
Gerald L. Winterlin.
Sincerely yours,
Mark E. Gebicke
Director, Military Operations
and Capabilities Issues
CAUSES OF ON-DUTY MILITARY
FATALITIES RELATED TO NON-AVIATION
ACCIDENTS
=========================================================== Appendix I
Between 1988 and 1996, there were 1,108 Department of Defense (DOD)
on-duty fatalities that resulted from non-aviation accidents.
Military vehicles were the leading cause of these fatalities, causing
more on-duty fatalities than all other types of accidents in all but
one of the services.\1 Of the 1,108 fatalities, 466, or about 42
percent, resulted from accidents involving tactical and non-tactical
tracked and wheeled vehicles. The second leading cause of DOD
on-duty accidental fatalities were explosives or explosions, which
accounted for 106, or about 10 percent, of the fatalities. Other
causes of the fatalities included drowning; aircraft-related mishaps;
and accidents involving weapons, physical training, and parachuting.
Figure I.1 shows the overall number and causes of DOD on-duty
accident fatalities for 1988 through 1996, and table I.1 shows this
information by military service.
Figure I.1: DOD On-duty
Fatalities in Non-aviation
Accidents, 1988-96
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Note: Other includes fire and steam mishaps, equipment-related
accidents, electrocutions, falls, and maintenance and repair
activities.
Table I.1
On-duty Fatalities in Non-aviation
Accidents by Service, 1988-96
Marine Air Tota Perce
Cause Army Navy Corps Force l nt
----------------------------- ---- ---- ------ ------ ==== -----
Military vehicle 333 30 64 39 466 42.1
Explosion 34 53 15 4 106 9.6
Drowning 22 65 9 0 96 8.7
Aircraft-related 60 4 0 7 71 6.4
Weapon 31 2 34 1 68 6.1
Physical training 5 27 32 0 64 5.8
Parachuting 37 2 3 1 43 3.9
Fire or steam 0 26 0 2 28 2.5
Equipment 14 9 2 2 27 2.4
Electrocution 7 8 3 7 25 2.3
Fall 3 14 2 2 21 1.9
Maintenance/repair 13 2 0 1 16 1.4
Other\a 43 24 7 3 77 6.9
======================================================================
Total 602 266 171 69 1,10 100.0
8
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Percentages have been rounded.
\a Other causes and activities include lightning, sporting events,
hypothermia, swim training, snow skiing, scuba diving, and water
vehicles.
--------------------
\1 The DOD Inspector General's report stated that motor vehicle
accidents were also the leading cause of DOD off-duty accidental
deaths, accounting for 81 percent of the 4,698 fatalities between
1988 and 1996.
ARMY
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix I:1
Of the 602 fatalities in Army on-duty accidents during 1988 through
1996, 333, or 55.3 percent, resulted from military vehicle accidents.
In fact, Army vehicle accidents were responsible for 71 percent of
DOD's 466 total military vehicle fatalities and 30 percent of DOD's
1,108 total non-aviation on-duty accident fatalities. Other leading
causes of Army on-duty accidental fatalities included
aircraft-related mishaps and parachuting. Table I.2 shows the Army's
on-duty accident fatalities for 1988 through 1996.
Table I.2
Army On-duty Fatalities in Non-aviation
Accidents, 1988-96
Cause 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Total Percent
---------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ===== -------
Military 40 41 45 70 30 34 17 44 12 333 55.3
vehicle
Aircraft 1 11 2 1 5 1 37 1 1 60 10.0
related
Parachutin 4 8 8 2 2 2 4 3 4 37 6.1
g
Explosion 3 5 3 14 2 2 1 1 3 34 5.6
Weapon 5 1 6 7 2 5 3 2 0 31 5.1
Drowning 2 4 2 6 2 3 2 1 0 22 3.7
Equipment 8 1 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 14 2.3
Maintenanc 3 3 1 0 2 0 2 0 2 13 2.2
e/repair
Electrocut 3 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 7 1.2
ion
Lightning 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 7 1.2
Physical 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 0.8
training
Hypothermi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 0.7
a
Fall 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0.5
Sporting 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0.5
event
Snow 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 3 0.5
skiing
Other\ 4 1 4 7 1 4 3 0 2 26 4.3
================================================================================
Total 76 79 77 110 49 53 72 60 26 602 100.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Percentages have been rounded.
The Army considered 60 of the 602 fatalities to be non-aviation,
aircraft-related accidents rather than aviation accidents because of
the circumstances of the accidents. For example, 48 Army fatalities
occurred in three accidents involving Air Force aircraft. In 1989,
11 Army personnel en route to boarder patrol operations died as their
Air Force helicopter crashed in Arizona. In 1994, a midair collision
between two Air Force aircraft killed 24 Army parachuters preparing
to board an aircraft, and two Army helicopters were mistakenly shot
down and destroyed by an Air Force aircraft in Southwest Asia,
resulting in 13 Army fatalities. For these accidents, the Army
counted its fatalities and injuries as non-aviation related because
Air Force aircraft were responsible. Army parachuting accidents
accounted for 37 of DOD's 43 parachuting fatalities. Other leading
causes of Army fatalities were explosions or explosives, weapons,
drowning, equipment, and maintenance/repair.
NAVY
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix I:2
Ashore accidents accounted for 99 of the 266 Navy on-duty accidental
fatalities, and afloat activities aboard Navy vessels accounted for
167 of the fatalities. Military vehicle accidents accounted for
about 30 percent of all ashore fatalities but only 11 percent of the
total number of Navy on-duty accident fatalities. Other ashore
fatalities included 26 due to heart-related problems resulting from
physical training activities, such as exercising and running, and 14
due to drowning.
Three accidents accounted for 78, or almost one-half of all 167
afloat fatalities. The 1989 gun turret explosion aboard the Navy
battleship Iowa resulted in 47 deaths, 21 sailors drowned in 1990
when their boat capsized, and a steam leak accident also in 1990
caused 10 fatalities. Explosions resulted in a total of 52 afloat
fatalities, drowning caused 51 fatalities, and fire or steam-related
accidents accounted for 26 fatalities. Table I.3 shows Navy ashore
and afloat accident fatalities for 1988 through 1996.
Table I.3
Navy On-duty Fatalities in Non-aviation
Accidents, 1988-96
Percen
Cause 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Total t
----------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ===== ------
Ashore
Military 9 3 2 2 4 4 0 4 2 30 30.3
vehicle
Physical 3 2 1 4 5 1 2 3 5 26 26.3
training
Drowning 2 2 1 4 0 2 2 0 1 14 14.1
Fall 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 5 5.1
Aircraft 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 4 4.0
related
Electrocuti 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 4.0
on
Sporting 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 4 4.0
event
Swim 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4.0
training
Parachuting 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2.0
Water 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2.0
vehicle
Explosion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1.0
Fire or 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1.0
steam
Other\ 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2.0
================================================================================
Subtotal 20 12 6 14 12 9 6 9 11 99 100.0
Afloat
Explosion 3 47 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 52 31.1
Drowning 4 10 24 2 5 0 4 0 2 51 30.6
Fire or 0 9 14 1 2 0 0 0 0 26 15.6
steam
Fall 0 0 2 2 1 2 0 0 2 9 5.4
Equipment 1 2 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 8 4.8
Electrocuti 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 2.4
on
Water 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1.8
vehicle
Maintenance 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1.2
/repair
Scuba 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 1.2
diving
Weapon 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1.2
Physical 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.6
training
Other 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 7 4.2
================================================================================
Subtotal 12 70 42 7 16 4 6 5 5 167 100.0
================================================================================
Total 32 82 48 21 28 13 12 14 16 266 100.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Percentages have been rounded.
MARINE CORPS
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix I:3
Vehicle accidents resulted in 64, or 37 percent, of the 171 Marine
Corps on-duty fatalities. Weapon-related mishaps, including live
weapon fire training exercises, accidental weapon discharge while
cleaning, horseplay, and mishandling of weapons, caused 34
fatalities. Another 32 fatalities were due to heart-related problems
associated with physical training activities, including exercising,
running, and marching. Accidents involving explosives, drownings,
and various other causes accounted for the remaining fatalities.
Table I.4 shows the Marine Corps on-duty accident fatalities for 1988
through 1996.
Table I.4
Marine Corps On-duty Fatalities in Non-
aviation Accidents, 1988-96
Percen
Cause 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Total t
----------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ===== ------
Military 8 5 3 23 8 4 4 3 6 64 37.4
vehicle
Weapon 5 5 4 7 3 5 0 4 1 34 19.9
Physical 5 3 4 5 2 4 2 6 1 32 18.7
training
Explosion 4 0 2 6 0 0 2 1 0 15 8.8
Drowning 1 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 0 9 5.3
Electrocuti 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 1.7
on
Parachuting 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1.7
Equipment 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1.2
Fall 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1.2
Lightning 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0.6
Other\ 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 6 3.5
================================================================================
Total 27 15 16 44 17 16 11 16 9 171 100.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Percentages have been rounded.
AIR FORCE
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix I:4
Vehicle accidents were responsible for 39, or 56 percent, of the 69
Air Force on-duty non-aviation fatalities. Aircraft-related
accidents and electrocutions caused seven fatalities each. The
remaining 16 fatalities resulted from explosions, equipment-related
accidents, and various other causes. Table I.5 shows the Air Force
on-duty accident fatalities for 1988 through 1996.
Table I.5
Air Force On-duty Fatalities in Non-
aviation Accidents, 1988-96
Percen
Cause 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Total t
----------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ===== ------
Military 3 7 3 3 5 5 6 3 4 39 56.5
vehicle
Aircraft 0 2 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 7 10.1
related
Electrocuti 0 2 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 7 10.1
on
Explosion 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 4 5.8
Equipment 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 2.9
Fall 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 2.9
Fire 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2.9
Lightning 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1.4
Maintenance 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1.4
/repair
Parachuting 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.4
Weapon 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.4
Other\ 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 2.9
================================================================================
Total 4 13 4 10 6 13 8 4 7 69 100.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Percentages have been rounded.
NON-AVIATION FATALITIES IN
TRAINING-RELATED ACCIDENTS
========================================================== Appendix II
Of the 1,108 DOD on-duty accident fatalities between 1988 and 1996,
500 occurred during training activities. In these accidents, 287
personnel died during individual physical training, unit-level
training activities, or combat exercises, and 167 died in Navy afloat
operations. The other 46 personnel who died in training were
students in the services' training school programs, including initial
recruit, infantry, and airborne training; Navy diving and swim
training; and Navy Seal and Army Ranger qualification training. The
remaining 608 fatalities occurred in activities that are not related
to training, such as peace operations, routine maintenance and
repair, and vehicles transporting personnel and material.
As with overall DOD on-duty accidents, military vehicles were the
leading cause of training-related fatalities. Vehicle accidents
caused 89, or about 18 percent, of the 500 training fatalities.\1
Drowning was the second leading cause, resulting in 88, or over 17
percent, of the total training fatalities. Explosions accounted for
75 training fatalities, and physical training accounted for 63
fatalities. The remaining training fatalities were due to various
other causes, including parachuting, weapons, and fire or steam.
Figure II.1 compares the number of DOD on-duty fatalities that
occurred during training from 1988 through 1996 with the number that
occurred in all other activities. Table II.1 shows fatalities in
training-related accidents by service.
Figure II.1: DOD Non-aviation
Fatalities Related to Training
and Nontraining Activities,
1988-96
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Note: Other includes equipment- and aircraft-related accidents,
falls, electrocutions, hypothermia, lightning, accidents involving
maintenance and repair activities, swim training, snow skiing,
sporting events, water vehicles, and scuba diving.
Table II.1
Service Fatalities in Non-aviation
Training-related Accidents, 1988-96
Marin
e Air Percen
Cause Army Navy Corps Force Total t
--------------------------- ----- ----- ----- ----- ===== ------
Military vehicle 72 0 15 2 89 17.8
Drowning 15 64 9 0 88 17.6
Explosion 15 53 6 1 75 15.0
Physical training 4 27 32 0 63 12.6
Parachuting 33 2 3 1 39 7.8
Weapon 20 2 10 1 33 6.6
Fire or steam 0 26 0 1 27 5.4
Equipment 5 8 2 0 15 3.0
Fall 1 10 2 0 13 2.6
Aircraft related 10 0 0 1 11 2.2
Electrocution 0 4 3 0 7 1.4
Hypothermia 4 0 0 0 4 0.8
Swim training 0 4 0 0 4 0.8
Maintenance/repair 1 2 0 0 3 0.6
Snow skiing 3 0 0 0 3 0.6
Sporting event 0 3 0 0 3 0.6
Water vehicle 0 3 0 0 3 0.6
Scuba diving 0 2 0 0 2 0.4
Lightning 0 0 1 0 1 0.2
Other 7 7 3 0 17 3.4
======================================================================
Total 190 217 86 7 500 100.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Of the 89 fatalities in training-related vehicle accidents, 72 were
in the Army, 15 in the Marine Corps, and 2 in the Air Force. The
fatalities occurred during combat maneuvers and unit training
exercises in established training areas and roadways on and outside
DOD installations. Of the 88 training-related drowning fatalities,
64 were in the Navy, including 21 in 1 afloat mishap. Of the 75
training-related fatalities involving explosions or explosives, 47
were Navy personnel killed in the gun turret explosion aboard the
Iowa. The other 28 training-related explosion fatalities occurred
during service exercises involving demolition activities, mines, hand
grenades, and other explosives. Army accidents accounted for 33 of
39 parachute training fatalities. Army and Marine Corps accidents
together accounted for 30 of the 33 weapons training fatalities. Of
the 63 physical training fatalities, 59 involved Navy and Marine
Corps personnel.
--------------------
\1 Vehicle accidents accounted for 377 of the 608 nontraining-related
fatalities.
TRENDS IN DOD ON-DUTY FATALITIES
DUE TO NON-AVIATION ACCIDENTS
========================================================= Appendix III
The annual number of DOD fatalities in on-duty, non-aviation
accidents decreased from 139 in 1988 to 58 in 1996. From 1989
through 1991, there were 519 DOD on-duty accident fatalities--about
47 percent of the 1,108 fatalities between 1988 and 1996. The 1989
explosion aboard the Navy battleship Iowa accounted for 47 of the 189
DOD fatalities that year. The increase in fatalities between 1990
and 1991 was largely the result of increased Army and Marine Corps
operating tempo associated with Operations Desert Shield and Desert
Storm. Figure III.1 shows the annual number of DOD on-duty accident
fatalities for 1988 through 1996.
Figure III.1: Annual Number of
DOD On-duty Fatalities From
Non-aviation Accidents, 1988-96
(See figure in printed
edition.)
DOD's rate for the number of on-duty accident fatalities per 100,000
non-aviation military personnel also declined overall, from about 4.3
in 1988 to 2.5 in 1996. The rate fluctuated during this time,
ranging from a high of 6.1 in 1991 to a low of 2.5 in 1996. The rate
of on-duty accident fatalities varied in each of the services. The
overall rates for the Army, the Navy, and the Marine Corps all
declined between 1988 and 1996, but the Air Force's rate--the lowest
of all the services--increased during this time. Figure III.2 shows
DOD's rate for the number of on-duty accident fatalities per 100,000
non-aviation military personnel. Table III.1 shows this information
by service.
Figure III.2: DOD Rate of
On-duty Fatalities From
Non-aviation Accidents, 1988-96
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Table III.1
Rates of On-duty Fatalities From Non-
aviation Accidents by Service
(Fatalities per 100,000 of each services
non-aviation military personnel)
Service
------------------------------
Marine Air
Year Army Navy Corps Force
-------------------------------------- ------ ------ ------ ------
1988 5.0 4.5 11.5 0.6
1989 5.2 11.5 6.4 1.8
1990 5.3 6.9 6.8 0.6
1991 7.6 3.0 18.9 1.5
1992 3.7 4.3 7.7 0.9
1993 4.3 2.1 7.5 2.1
1994 6.1 2.1 5.3 1.4
1995 5.5 2.7 7.6 0.7
1996 2.4 3.3 4.3 1.3
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Numbers have been rounded.
The annual number of DOD fatalities in military vehicle accidents
decreased from 60 in 1988 to 24 in 1996. From 1989 to 1991, there
were 207 vehicle fatalities--over 44 percent of all such fatalities
for 1988 through 1996. Similarly, the rate of on-duty fatalities per
100,000 non-aviation personnel in military vehicle accidents declined
about 50 percent, from 1.9 in 1988 to 1.0 in 1996. The vehicle
fatality rate ranged from a high of 3.2 in 1991 during Operations
Desert Shield and Desert Storm to a low of about 1.0 in 1996.
Figures III.3 and III.4 show the annual number and rate,
respectively, of DOD on-duty fatalities in military vehicle accidents
for 1988 through 1996.
Figure III.3: Annual Number of
DOD On-duty Fatalities in
Military Vehicle Accidents
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Figure III.4: DOD Rate of
On-duty Fatalities in Military
Vehicle Accidents
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Between 1988 and 1996, the rate of military vehicle accident
fatalities per 100,000 non-aviation personnel varied by service. As
with the services' on-duty accidental fatality rates, the military
vehicle accident rate decreased for the Army, the Navy, and the
Marine Corps but increased slightly for the Air Force. Table III.2
shows the services' rates of on-duty fatalities in military vehicle
accidents for 1988 through 1996.
Table III.2
Rates of On-duty Fatalities in Military
Vehicle Accidents by Service
(Fatalities per 100,000 of each services
non-aviation military personnel)
Service
------------------------------
Marine Air
Year Army Navy Corps Force
-------------------------------------- ------ ------ ------ ------
1988 2.6 1.3 3.4 0.4
1989 2.7 0.4 2.1 1.0
1990 3.1 0.3 1.3 0.4
1991 4.9 0.3 9.9 0.4
1992 2.3 0.6 3.6 0.8
1993 2.8 0.7 1.9 0.8
1994 1.4 0.0 1.9 1.0
1995 4.0 0.8 1.4 0.5
1996 1.1 0.4 2.8 0.7
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Numbers have been rounded.
The number of DOD fatalities in training-related accidents decreased
from 68 in 1988 to 29 in 1996. Likewise, the number of fatalities in
other activities, such as peace operations and routine maintenance
and repair, decreased from 71 to 29 during the same time. Figure
III.5 shows this information.
Figure III.5: Annual Number of
DOD Non-aviation Fatalities in
Training and Nontraining
Accidents
(See figure in printed
edition.)
(See figure in printed edition.)Appendix IV
COMMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE
========================================================= Appendix III
*** End of document. ***