You really do not have to crash your planes. Granted, if you are pushing yourself with new aerobatic moves etc. , that may increase your risk, but you can always do them higher up, or with a plane you are not that concerned with, like the foamie. Which was a great move by the way

I can say, after flying ( a lot, not just casually) for the last 30 years, the number one reason why RC airplanes crash is poor maintenance with the RX battery. It is the main failure point that I have seen.