For Air Force aircrews, 2009 was the safest year ever, according to preliminary numbers from the Air Force Safety Center. In fiscal year 2009, which ended September 30, there were 16 Class A accidents, or 9 fewer than the year before. Class A accidents are those that lead to a death or a repair bill of $1 million or more.

The Air Force says 5 airmen and a civilian test pilot died in the 2009 accidents, down from the 13 airmen killed in 2008, but still below the 10-year average of 10 deaths.

The mishap rate is also down. That's the number of accidents for every 100,000 hours of flying. The 2009 figure is 0.82, the lowest for the Air Force in 62 years of flying.

A reduction in aircrew mistakes is credited with the improvement. And that, according to the Air Force Safety Center, is a result of risk management initiatives like considering the hazards of a mission before launching.