In the afternoon of October 11, 2006, a private plane crashed into an apartment complex in Manhattan, killing the pilot, New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, and his flight instructor Tyler Stanger. The impact destroyed the 4-seat, single-engine aircraft and set the building on fire. The crash scene brought aviation safety back to national headlines.1 In this article, we examine the crash risk of private flights, identify major factors influencing survival in aviation crashes, and discuss possible approaches for improving the safety of general aviation.