Across the board, private aviation, like all forms of air travel, is exceedingly safe, with fatality rates far below those for any other method of transportation. However, when fatal incidents involving private jets do occur, as multiple have already this year, the spotlight is often cast upon the world of private aviation, specifically with safety concerns in mind.

Commercial airlines in the United States are held to the most stringent safety standards, with consistent monitoring, maintenance, and testing of redundancy systems. In the world of private aviation, accountability can be a bit lower, requiring individual customers to carefully examine the safety features of their aircraft and ensure that all redundancy systems remain fully operational.

Nonetheless, some private jet models have distinguished themselves on account of their exceptional safety ratings, with some never logging a single fatal accident. As a result, some with safety concerns may aim to seek out these specific models which maintain spotless safety records. Let’s take a deeper look at these private jets, which are some of the safest out there.

Private Aviation

1

Embraer Legacy 500

Category:

Embraer Legacy 500 Specification:

Range:

3,125 nautical miles

Top Speed:

Mach 0.83

Capacity:

8-12 passengers

Cited by Stratos Jet Charter as the world’s safest private jet, the Embraer Legacy 500, a member of the manufacturer’s bestselling mid-size jet family, is undoubtedly one of the best choices out there. One of the few such aircraft to never record a single hull-loss incident, the aircraft has never been involved in an incident that has resulted in a fatality.

This aircraft’s impeccable safety record is unsurprising considering the manufacturer’s impressive reputation for rigorous safety standards and advanced safety feature integration. Both of these aircraft feature advanced displays for pilot situational awareness and have fully integrated fly-by-wire control systems meant to reduce turbulence.

The only thing that can be considered a safety incident to have occurred with a Legacy 500 model took place back in 2017. An aircraft that was flying from Russia to Paris faced challenging icy conditions, which resulted in its approaching the runway at too sharp of an angle, something which caused the landing gear to rupture. This led the right wing to be damaged, but no injuries or fatalities were reported.

2

Gulfstream G500

Category:

Gulfstream G500 Specification:

Range:

5,300 nautical miles

Top Speed:

Mach 0.925

Capacity:

19 passengers

A twin-engine business jet that is part of the manufacturer’s popular Gulfstream VII family, the Gulfstream G500, has not recorded a fatal incident since it first entered service in 2018. Like other business jets within the Gulfstream lineup, the G500 boasts advanced safety features that help ensure pilots remain in complete control of the aircraft at all times.

TAG Aviation Malta Gulfstream Aerospace GVII-G500 (9H-MRV) landing runway 31 in the afternoon.

Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock

The only incident that the Aviation Safety Network logs as safety-related for the G500 occurred last year, and did not result in any fatalities. The accident, which occurred near Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), involved a flight attendant receiving an injury during takeoff when the captain initiated a takeoff without properly alerting passengers and crew.

3

Dassault Falcon 8X

Category:

Dassault Falcon 8X Specification:

Range:

5,450 nautical miles

Top Speed:

Mach 0.9

Capacity:

12-16 passengers

A French-built three-engine business jet that is one of the newer models in the Dassault Falcon family, the Falcon 8X, entered passenger service back in 2016. The aircraft offers advanced safety features, all of which are held to Dassault and the European Union’s rigorous civil aviation safety standards.

A Dassault Falcon 8X Flying in the sky.

Photo: VanderWolf Images | Shutterstock

The aircraft has, much like the Gulfstream G500 and the Embraer Legacy 500, failed to record a single fatal hull-loss incident, making it not just the safest business jet in the Falcon family, but also one of the safest ever to enter the skies. The only safety-related incident on the plane’s rap sheet was a minor runway strike in 2019 when the aircraft’s wing flap made contact with the runway upon landing at Racine Airport (RAC) in Wisconsin.

4

Cessna Citation Longitude

Category:

Cessna Citation Longitude Specification:

Range:

3,500 nautical miles

Top Speed:

Mach 0.84

Capacity:

8-12 passengers

The largest business jet ever to be manufactured by Textron-owned Cessna, the Citation Longitude has maintained an outstanding safety reputation since entering service in 2019. In total, the plane has only ever recorded two safety-related incidents, providing it with an excellent rap sheet.

The first incident occurred back in 2021 when the aircraft struck a bird shortly after taking off from Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower International Airport (ICT), which resulted in minor damage. The second incident, which occurred earlier in 2024, involved a Citation Longitude aircraft diverting to a Texas airport when a fire broke out while flying over the Gulf of Mexico.

5

Pilatus PC-24

Category:

Pilatus PC-24 Longitude Specification:

Range:

2000 nautical miles

Top Speed:

Mach 0.65

Capacity:

10 passengers

First entering service back in 2018, the Pilatus PC-24 is a Swiss-built light business jet that has maintained an impressive safety reputation. Just like all others on this list, the type has not yet logged a single fatal accident, although it has had six notable safety-related incidents.

A Jetfly Aviation Pilatus PC-24 flying in the sky.

Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock

This included a 2022 diversion over the Swiss Alps due to smoke filling the cabin and a 2023 incident which involved a PC-24 losing directional control briefly over a failing rudder, something which resulted in an emergency landing. Overall, the aircraft maintains a strong safety reputation with only minor accidents on its rap sheet.

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