The authors reviewed civil air transport accidents over a 15-year period (1988-2003) and arrived at milestone accidents. The impact of these milestone accidents on aviation safety developments in policy, regulation and technology are analyzed here. The analysis shows that these accidents have led to significant changes in these three areas. However, it is concluded that the outcomes were reactive as opposed to proactive solutions. Indicators of change are U.S. Congressional and Federal Aviation Administration records and other published information. The impacts of milestone accidents are shown using a timeline format to demonstrate various sets of outcomes and their interrelation over time.
