The recent crash of a UPS MD-11 in Louisville has renewed scrutiny of cargo aircraft safety, with data suggesting freight planes are more prone to accidents than passenger jets, reports Omaha's Straight Arrow News.

Pilots and safety advocates say cargo aircraft crash at higher rates, partly due to less stringent regulation and slower adoption of safety upgrades. Freight flights account for only a tenth of passenger flight numbers but are longer and more accident-prone.

The International Air Transport Association reported cargo planes were involved in 16 of 29 fatal crashes in North America between 2005 and 2025. The Flight Safety Foundation has also warned of disproportionate fatalities from cargo accidents, noting 29 per cent of deaths in 2017 came from freight crashes.

Investigations show pilot error, crew fatigue, weather and mechanical issues as leading causes. Cargo pilots were excluded from US fatigue rules introduced in 2013, after lawmakers deemed compliance too costly. Former FedEx pilot Joe DePete testified in 2019 that cargo carriers often lack the safety upgrades applied to passenger airlines.

The UPS crash killed at least 12 people, most on the ground, highlighting risks despite small crew sizes. Boeing data shows 317 cargo crashes worldwide since 1959, causing 671 fatalities, compared with 512 fatal passenger incidents resulting in 3,836 deaths.

Cargo flights typically carry fewer than five crew, versus hundreds of passengers on commercial jets. While passenger flights are expected to generate US$693 billion in 2025, cargo will contribute US$142 billion.

"We fly the same skies, over the same cities and land at the same airports, so we really need to close that gap," Mr DePete said.