Air Travel Safety in 2025: Are Plane Crashes on the Rise?

Since the start of 2025, numerous aviation incidents in the United States have led to concerns about air travel safety. While these crashes have led to higher amounts of attention from the media, aviation experts and official data show that the overall number of incidents is still consistent with previous years. Still, each crash is reminding people about the importance of remembering the risks involved in air travel and the importance of having safety improvements on aircraft. Because of the attention on these crashes this year, many discussions about potential causes and possible measures to prevent them have started.

January 29, 2025: Washington DC Crash
A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, known as American Airlines Flight 5342, collided with a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport. The crash led to the deaths of 67 individuals, including military personnel and commercial passengers. This incident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with initial reports saying a possible miscommunication between air traffic controllers and the pilots involved may have taken place.

January 31, 2025: Philadelphia Crash
A Learjet 55 operated by Med Jets Flight 056 crashed after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. All six people on board, including medical workers and a patient, were killed. The cause of the crash is still being examined, but the first reports suggest mechanical failure could have taken place.

February 6, 2025: Alaska Crash
A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX, operated by Bering Air, went down while on route from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska. All ten people on board were killed. Harsh weather conditions are being considered a major factor in this crash, as Alaska’s aviation environment tends to have a variety of challenges due to the changing weather and more remote locations.

March 9, 2025: Pennsylvania Crash
A Beechcraft Bonanza carrying five people crashed into a parking lot at the Brethren Village retirement community in Lancaster County. Luckily, all of the occupants survived, though three suffered burns and were transported to a nearby hospital. The crash caused a high amount of damage to parked cars, but no injuries were reported among residents of the retirement home. Investigators are currently looking into engine failure as a possible cause.

Now, for the question that everyone is asking: Are the amount of plane crashes actually increasing?

The short answer: No. Even though these crashes have received a high amount of attention, aviation safety experts say that the total number of incidents in 2025 has not gone up by a high amount. The NTSB says that between January 1 and February 21, 2025, there were 99 aviation incidents, including 14 fatal crashes. During the same time in 2024, there were 150 incidents and 30 fatal crashes.

While the numbers suggest a decrease, the public may feel like crashes are happening more often because of the attention major accidents have received. Large crashes, especially those that have commercial airlines or fatalities, tend to get more news coverage than smaller, non-fatal incidents.

Experts have said that several factors could be playing a role in these crashes, the first of which being increased air traffic. As more people travel after the pandemic, more flights are taking place, which increases the chances of incidents happening. The FAA has reported an increase in the total number of flights, which can sometimes put more pressure on air traffic control systems and airline operations.

Another is older models of planes. Some of the planes involved in crashes, especially those used by smaller regional airlines, are older models. While regular maintenance keeps them safe, older planes can have more mechanical problems that might lead to accidents.

Having a smaller amount of pilots and concerns about training may also be a cause. The airline industry has been dealing with a shortage of pilots, which has raised concerns about training and pilot fatigue. Some experts worry that newer pilots may not have as much experience handling emergencies compared to those from previous years.

An increase in severe weather conditions could be having an affect as well. A lot of the crashes, like the one in Alaska, happened in areas known for difficult weather. As weather patterns change, turbulence and extreme weather events have more and more effects on the current air safety measures.

The FAA and NTSB are working on investigations to find out if there are bigger problems that need to be fixed. Some of the steps being looked at include better air traffic control, stronger maintenance rules, better pilot training, and more accurate weather predictions. Improving communication and coordination between air traffic controllers and pilots could help prevent accidents like the one near Washington, D.C. Stronger maintenance rules would help airlines have to go through more strict inspections for older planes to make sure they meet safety standards. Better simulator training and emergency practice could help pilots react better in dangerous situations, and advanced weather forecasting tools could help pilots and airlines make better choices about flight paths and timing.

Even though recent plane crashes in the U.S. have caused concerns, flying is still one of the safest ways to travel. The data shows that the total number of incidents has actually gone down compared to last year, but each crash is still a reminder that aviation safety needs to keep improving. Investigations into these incidents will likely lead to new rules and safety measures to help prevent future accidents. In the meantime, agencies like the FAA and NTSB continue working to make air travel safer for everyone.