British Aerospace / Raytheon / Hawker Beechcraft · Business jet
Hawker 800/900 (BAe 125-700/800)
Is the Hawker 800/900 (BAe 125-700/800) safe? It ranks Shared rankWithin 1 point of other aircraft types: the difference is not meaningful.More in the glossary of 18 private and business aircraft families we rate, with 6 fatal accidents counted in about 2.3 million flights since 2008.
Likely range 49 to 67
How the score is built
- Fatal accidents
- 6 in 2.3 million flights
2.6 fatal accidents per million flights. Counted: all civil flights (private, charter, corporate, cargo, training and other), accidents and unexplained losses; not counted: military, test and illegal flights, sabotage, hijackings, shoot-downs and deliberate crew acts.
- Full-loss equivalents
- 6
Each counted accident adds the share of people on board who died (1 = no survivors). This is what the score is based on.
- Flights flown
- 2.3 million
Estimated flights of all kinds. Flights of all kinds (private, charter, corporate, cargo, training and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026: OpenSky 2022 flights of the type under any call sign (US military aircraft left out), re-weighted to World Bank departures country by country, carried to other years by the type's flights counted each year by FAA traffic flow management (TFMSC). Flights before 2008 are not used, like the accidents. About 145 flights per aircraft per year (fleet with a median service life of about 32 years). Uncertainty roughly ±30%.
- Technology generation
- Classic business jet (type first flew before 1990)
Small fleets are pulled toward the record of the other types of their generation: 2.3 full-loss equivalents per million flights over 11.5 million flights. Weight of this family's own record: 87%.
- Likely range
- 49 to 67
The score is 90% likely to lie in this range, given how few accidents a type has and the error in the estimate of its flights.
- Last fatal accident
- 10 November 2015
Execuflight flight EFT1526, 3,2 km NE of Akron-Fulton International Airport, OH (AKC), United States of America: 9 of 9 people on board died.
- Hull losses
- 61
Civil aircraft destroyed or written off from all causes, including non-fatal accidents, cargo flights and attacks; airframes flown by air forces on military operations are left out. ASN gives no fate for some damaged aircraft, so this can be a little low (context only, not in the score).
Compared with everyday risks
One flight on the Hawker 800/900 (BAe 125-700/800) carries about the same risk of death as the activities near it below.
- An hour's walk1 in 14 million
- Driving 100 miles (160 km)1 in 5.9 million
- An ordinary day: accidents and violence1 in 1 million
- A day of skiing1 in 830,000
- A scuba dive1 in 500,000
- Cycling 100 miles (160 km)1 in 430,000
- One flight on the Hawker 800/900 (BAe 125-700/800)This aircraft1 in 390,000
- Running a marathon1 in 290,000
- A skydive1 in 250,000
- A general anaesthetic1 in 100,000
- Riding a motorbike 100 miles (160 km)1 in 83,000
Accident history
6 fatal accidents since 2008 count toward the score, with 44 people on board killed.
| Date | Flight | Killed | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Execuflight EFT1526BAe-125-700A · 3,2 km NE of Akron-Fulton International Airport, OH (AKC), United States of America | 9 killed / 9 on board | On a localizer approach to Akron in low cloud, the charter BAe 125, flown by the first officer against company policy, slowed, went below the minimum altitude, stalled and hit an apartment building; all nine died. The NTSB cited SOP lapses and lax company standards and oversight.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| Senegalair CEL71BAe-125-700A · 110 km W off Dakar, Senegal, Atlantic Ocean | 7 killed / 7 on board | On an ambulance flight from Ouagadougou to Dakar, the BAe 125 strayed from its assigned level and clipped a Boeing 737 on the airway. The 737 landed safely; the silent BAe 125 flew on past Dakar and vanished at sea with seven aboard. It had known altimeter faults left unrepaired.Type: Mid-air collisionASN record | |
| Líneas Aéreas Comerciales, SA - LACSABAe-125-700A · 1,52 km N of Saltillo-Plan de Guadalupe International Airport (SLW), Mexico | 8 killed / 8 on board | On an ILS approach to Saltillo in fog, the BAe 125 went below decision height without capturing the glide slope, hit high-voltage power lines and crashed into an industrial park; all eight died. Investigators cited ignored terrain warnings and a poor safety culture.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| Sky Lounge ServicesHawker 850XP · Sulaymaniyah International Airport (ISU), Iraq | 7 killed / 7 on board | The Hawker 850XP took off from Sulaymaniyah with snow and ice still on its wings and tail, over-rotated, stalled without warning and hit the ground beside the runway. All seven on board died, including staff and shareholders of the mobile operator Asiacell.Type: IcingASN record | |
| S-Air RLS9607BAe-125-800B · 3 km SE of Minsk-2 International Airport (MSQ), Belarus | 5 killed / 5 on board | On a night ILS approach to Minsk the crew set the wrong ILS frequency and went around after terrain warnings. On the second try they went below the glide slope, ignored repeated pull-up warnings and hit forest; all five died. Investigators cited poor training and CRM.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| East Coast JetsBAe-125-800A · Owatonna Airport, MN (OWA), United States of America | 8 killed / 8 on board | After touching down at Owatonna, the captain tried to go around late in the landing roll; the BAe 125-800 hit antennas and crashed in a cornfield beyond the runway, killing all eight. The NTSB also cited poor crew coordination, fatigue and weak FAA rules for charter crews.Type: Runway excursionASN record |
Listed but not counted
These events happened before 2008 (the score covers 2008 onward, the period its flight count covers), on military, test or illegal flights, or were caused by a crime or a deliberate act, which says little about the aircraft design.
| Date | Flight | Killed | Why not counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aereo Lineas del Centro SAHawker 800XP · near Bath, MI, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Test flight. On a post-maintenance stall test after wing leading edge work, flown by its usual crew as no test pilot could be booked, the Hawker 800XP dived from FL140; the crew radioed they were in a stall and recovering. It crashed near Bath, Michigan, killing all three. No cause published.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| Clay Lacy Aviation opb Vici Aviation LLCHawker 900XP · near Westwater, UT, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Test flight. Flying a post-maintenance stall test above the allowed height after climbing through icing cloud, the Hawker 900XP stalled with no warning, spun and crashed near Westwater, killing both pilots. The NTSB cited the icing, the recovery inputs and too little stall test training.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| privateBAe-125-700A · Parque Nacional Sierra de Lacandon, Guatemala | 1 killed / 3 on board | Illegal flight (stolen aircraft, smuggling or no licence). A BAe 125 used to carry drugs, whose paint matched N326TD, was found crashed and abandoned in Sierra de Lacandón National Park, Guatemala, with three injured people inside; one later died. No details of the flight are known.Type: Unknown causeASN record | |
| privateBAe-125-800A · Alta Verapaz, Santa Marta Salina, Guatemala | 4 killed / 4 on board | Illegal flight (stolen aircraft, smuggling or no licence). The BAe 125-800, which had left Cuernavaca without a flight plan or clearance, crashed while apparently trying to land on a clandestine airstrip in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Both pilots died; weapons and drugs were found at the site. No cause is given in the record.Type: Unknown causeASN record | |
| privateBAe-125-700A · near Las Cruces, Petén, Guatemala | 2 killed / 2 on board | Illegal flight (stolen aircraft, smuggling or no licence). A business jet whose tail matched BAe 125 N700NW crashed in woods near Las Cruces, Petén, Guatemala; both occupants died and at least 762 kg of cocaine was found nearby. No details of the flight are known.Type: Unknown causeASN record | |
| privateBAe-125-700A · near Nueva Cajolá, Guatemala | 2 killed / 2 on board | Illegal flight (stolen aircraft, smuggling or no licence). The BAe 125, presumed to be on a drug flight from Venezuela, crashed into trees and burned near Nueva Cajolá, Guatemala, killing both on board. No details of the sequence are known.Type: Unknown causeASN record | |
| UnknownBAe-125-700A · Hato Viejo, Venezuela | 2 killed / 2 on board | Illegal flight (stolen aircraft, smuggling or no licence). The BAe 125, thought to be on a drug trafficking flight, crashed in the Hato Viejo area of Cojedes, Venezuela, killing both pilots, who were reported to be Mexican. No details of the flight are known.Type: Unknown causeASN record | |
| Japan Air Self-Defense Force - JASDFU-125 (Hawker 800) · 10 km N of Kanoya Air Base, Japan | 6 killed / 6 on board | Military operation. On a navaid check flight near Kanoya, the air force U-125 flew an arc at 3,000 ft into cloud and hit a mountain peak; a terrain warning was switched off with no climb. The captain had misjudged the mountain heights on the planned path. All six on board died.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| UnknownBAe-125-700A · off Puerto Colombia, Colombia | 4 killed / 4 on board | Unlawful interference (sabotage, hijacking or shoot-down). After entering Colombian airspace illegally from Venezuela, the BAe 125 was intercepted by a Colombian Air Force aircraft; with its right engine on fire it came down in the sea off Puerto Colombia. Four bodies and 1.3 tonnes of drugs were recovered.Type: SecurityASN record | |
| AvcomBAe-125-700A · 4,3 km W of Kharkov Airport (HRK), Ukraine | 3 killed / 3 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. Positioning to Kharkiv to pick up passengers, the BAe 125 lost control on approach when its flaps extended unevenly, 6° on the left and 20° on the right. It rolled left, hit treetops and crashed on the shore of a frozen lake, killing all three on board.Type: System failureASN record | |
| AeroxtraBAe-125-800A · 2,4 km from Las Potrancas Ranch Airstrip, Mexico | 3 killed / 3 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. Manoeuvring in low cloud for a visual approach to a private ranch airstrip near Tampico, the pilot went below minimum altitude and the BAe 125-800 struck a hillside. Investigators cited flight into terrain, poor planning and weak crew coordination.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| Star Flite AviationBAe-125-700A · 24 km NW of Beaumont, TX, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. On a training flight near Beaumont, the crew practised an approach-to-landing stall at 5,000 ft with idle power and could not recover; the BAe 125 hit marshland. The NTSB cited loss of control, stalls practised too low and weak instructor supervision.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| Nigerian GovernmentBAe-125-700B · 7,3 km from Kano-Aminu Kano International Airport (KAN), Nigeria | 14 killed / 14 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. On a night approach to Kano, the Nigerian government BAe 125 hit the ground short of the runway. Investigators called it controlled flight into terrain after the crew failed to watch the altimeters in the dark. All 14 on board died.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| Nigerian GovernmentBAe-125-700B · 37 km from Kaduna, Nigeria | 7 killed / 7 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. The government BAe 125 crashed on approach to Kaduna after being cleared down to 4,500 ft. Investigators cited the pilot's lost awareness of altitude, through distraction, misjudgement or misleading lights on the ground.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| Yacimientos Petroliferos FiscalesBAe-125-700B · 30 km SW of Salta Airport, SA (SLA), Argentina | 7 killed / 7 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. The BAe 125 hit a mountainside during a thunderstorm while flying an instrument approach to Salta. Investigators found the pilot had not followed the approach procedure; a landing attempt had been abandoned as weather fell below minima. All seven on board died.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| Servicios Aereos Regiomontanos - SARSABAe-125-700A · 6,5 km SE of Monterrey, Mexico | 4 killed / 6 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. On a night approach to Monterrey in poor weather, the BAe 125 struck trees short of runway 29; a wrong altimeter setting was reported. Both pilots and two passengers died, and two other passengers survived with injuries.Type: Flight into terrainASN record |
The Hawker 800 line is a solid, two-pilot business jet with a record in the middle of the business aircraft we rank. Where investigators have published findings on its six counted events since 2008, they point to approaches in poor weather and to procedure lapses, not to a design fault. The record says more about how and where it was flown than about the airframe.
Who flies the Hawker 800?
The aircraft started as the British Aerospace 125-700, which first flew in 1976, and was developed into the 125-800. It became the Raytheon, then Hawker Beechcraft, Hawker 800. Later models are the 800XP, 850XP and 900XP. The military versions are the C-29 and the Japanese U-125. About 1,270 were built and about 660 were seen flying in 2022.
It seats eight in a typical layout. Owners use it for corporate flying, and charter and ambulance operators use it too. Governments fly it as well. Production has ended.
What is the record by flight purpose?
Up to 3 November 2026 our data lists 22 fatal events. The score counts only accidents and flights from 1 January 2008 on: six events in about 2.3 million flights.
- Passenger or charter, 3: Execuflight at Akron, Ohio, 10 November 2015 (9 dead); LACSA at Saltillo, Mexico, 19 April 2014 (8 dead); East Coast Jets at Owatonna, Minnesota, 31 July 2008 (8 dead).
- Other (corporate, ambulance), 3: Senegalair, off Dakar, 5 September 2015, an ambulance flight (7 dead); Sky Lounge Services, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, 4 February 2011 (7 dead); S-Air at Minsk, 26 October 2009 (5 dead).
Seven older crashes are listed as history but do not count, because they came before 2008: passenger flights in 1981 and 1985, two Nigerian government crashes in 1985 and 1996, ferry flights by Aeroxtra in Mexico (27 October 2003) and Avcom near Kharkiv (2 January 2006), and a Star Flite Aviation training flight near Beaumont, Texas (20 September 2003).
Excluded since 2008 (9): two test flights, 7 February 2024 and 16 October 2025, both stall tests after maintenance; six flights linked to drug smuggling or illegal entry between 2015 and 2020; and a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force crash on 6 April 2016. See the aircraft methodology.
What do the findings say?
Officials found human and procedure factors, not a single design fault. At Akron the NTSB cited lapses in standard procedures and weak company standards and oversight. At Owatonna the NTSB found a go-around attempted too late in the landing roll, with poor crew coordination, fatigue and the FAA's failure to require crew resource management training for charter operators as contributing factors. At Saltillo the aircraft went below decision height in fog. The Senegalair jet collided at cruise height with a Boeing 737, which landed safely, then flew on without radio contact until it vanished over the sea; investigators found it had not held its assigned level and had known altimeter problems.
The two recent test-flight events are not in the score. The 2024 Utah crash was a stall test flown in icing conditions; the NTSB also cited the manufacturer's lack of training requirements for crews who fly such tests. The 2025 Michigan crash has only a preliminary report, with no cause published.
How does it compare?
Per flight, the Hawker 800 record is better than that of the older Learjet 35. The smaller Beechjet 400, which Hawker later sold as the 400XP, has no counted fatal event since 2008 in a similar number of flights, but it is not ranked yet and the likely ranges of the two scores overlap. The newer Learjet 45 has about as many flights, two counted events and a higher rank. With six counted events, confidence in the Hawker's score is low and its likely range is wide.
How can you check a charter operator?
- Ask for the air operator certificate and check it with the authority that issued it.
- Ask for an independent audit, such as Wyvern or ARGUS.
- Ask for two trained pilots and ask whether the first officer flies approaches under company policy.
- Ask the age and maintenance history of the aircraft.
How do you know if you are on one?
The ICAO type code is H25B for every version. The jet has two rear-mounted engines.
Questions people ask
Is the Hawker 800 a safe private jet?
Its record sits in the middle of the business aircraft we rank: it shares its place with the Challenger 600, just behind the Citation V and the Learjet 60 and several places below the Gulfstream IV. From 2008 to 3 November 2026 our data counts six fatal events in about 2.3 million flights. Half were charter flights, and several ended in crashes on approach in poor weather. Crew standards and the operator matter more than the airframe.
What is the difference between a BAe 125 and a Hawker 800?
They are the same line. The BAe 125-800 was renamed Hawker 800 after Raytheon bought the line in 1993, and the earlier 125-700 is its direct predecessor. The 800XP, 850XP and 900XP are later versions with updated engines and avionics. Flight trackers show H25B for all of them.
Does the Hawker 800 need two pilots?
Yes. Every version, from the BAe 125-700 to the Hawker 900XP, is certified for a crew of two. A charter offered with one pilot is a reason to book elsewhere.
Why are some Hawker 800 crashes missing from the score?
Sixteen of the 22 fatal events do not count. Seven came before 2008, when our count starts. Since 2008, nine are excluded: two post-maintenance test flights, six smuggling flights in Colombia, Venezuela and Guatemala, and one military crash. We count civil accidents on passenger, corporate, ambulance, ferry and training flights from 2008 on.
Sources
- 1.ASN record: Execuflight BAe 125-700, Akron, Ohio, 10 November 2015 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 2.ASN record: East Coast Jets BAe 125-800, Owatonna, Minnesota, 31 July 2008 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 3.ASN record: Senegalair BAe 125-700, off Dakar, 5 September 2015 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 4.ASN record: Clay Lacy Aviation Hawker 900XP, near Westwater, Utah, 7 February 2024 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 5.ASN record: Aereo Lineas del Centro Hawker 800XP, near Bath, Michigan, 16 October 2025 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 6.SafetyScorer exposure model: OpenSky Network flights 2022 (all operators), World Bank departures, FAA TFMSC (opens in a new tab)Flights of all kinds (private, charter, corporate, cargo, training and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026: OpenSky 2022 flights of the type under any call sign (US military aircraft left out), re-weighted to World Bank departures country by country, carried to other years by the type's flights counted each year by FAA traffic flow management (TFMSC). Flights before 2008 are not used, like the accidents. About 145 flights per aircraft per year (fleet with a median service life of about 32 years). Uncertainty roughly ±30%.