Has flight safety improved?
Flying has long been an aspiration and a passion for many. Leonardo da Vinci wrote more than 35,000 words and drew 500 sketches including his human-powered ornithopter, a wing-flapping device. This passion carries risk and although today even the small fixed-wing airplanes have a level of complexity that Leonardo could not have envisioned, the number of fatalities continues to be high and safety remains a major concern.
At the end of 2017, there were an estimated 609,306 active pilots in the United States. This number has been gradually declining over the last decades, down from a high of over 827,000 pilots in 1980. This includes 174,883 private pilots. – Wikipedia
Where do accidents occur?
Safety over time

Until 2014, the general aviation fatal accident rate appeared to have remained relatively static according to the FAA’s flight hours estimates. Since then, the fatal accident rate is decreasing. The preliminary estimate for FY 2017 is a fatal accident of 0.84 with 209 GA fatal accidents with 347 fatalities.

In 2016, the fatal accident rate was 0.89 with 219 GA fatal accidents per 100,000 hours, with 411 fatalities.

In 2015, the fatal accident rate was 0.99 with 238 GA fatal accidents per 100,000 hours, with 384 fatalities.

In 2014, the fatal accident rate was 1.09 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours, with 252 fatal accidents.

In 2013, the fatal accident rate was 1.11 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours, with 259 GA fatal accidents.

In 2012, the fatal accident rate was 1.09 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours flown, with 267 GA fatal accidents.

In 2011, the fatal accident rate was 1.12 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours flown, with 278 GA fatal accidents.

In 2010, the fatal accident rate was 1.10 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours flown, with 272 GA fatal accidents.

There was a total of 225 fatal accidents in 2018. This is an increase over the previous year when the estimated fatal accidents was 209.