With four notable plane crashes in just over a month, it’s no surprise that many travelers are feeling uneasy about flying. In fact, Google Trends data shows a recent spike in searches for “Is it safe to fly?”
It all started with a midair collision over Washington, D.C. in late January, then came a fiery crash in a Philadelphia neighborhood days later, followed by a plane vanishing over Alaska. And just this week, a Delta plane flipped over after a botched landing in Toronto. Altogether, these crashes have taken at least 85 lives.
With so many back-to-back incidents, we took a closer look at what’s happening in the skies — and whether air travel is still as safe as experts say.
Why have there been so many plane crashes lately?
There’s been a string of major plane crashes across the U.S. and Canada — four in total, all happening in a matter of weeks. And the worst part? We still don’t have many answers, since every one of these incidents is still under investigation.
A midair collision over D.C.
It all started on Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C., when an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Tragically, all 67 people on board both aircraft were killed, making it the deadliest U.S. plane crash since 2001. Early reports suggest the helicopter may have had faulty data and didn’t realize it was at the wrong altitude, but investigators from the NTSB and FAA are still piecing things together.
Philadelphia neighborhood hit by a fiery crash
Just two days later, on Jan. 31, a medical transport jet carrying a young patient and her mother went down in a Philadelphia neighborhood, exploding on impact and setting several homes on fire. All six passengers and one person on the ground lost their lives, while 19 others were injured. Authorities still don’t know why the jet crashed.
A plane vanishes over Alaska
Then, on Feb. 6, a commuter plane disappeared in Alaska shortly after takeoff. After an intense search, some wreckage was found the next day on the sea ice — with all 10 people on board confirmed dead. Among them was a retired teacher traveling to mentor educators. The cause? Still unknown. But U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointed out that flying in Alaska is especially challenging due to unpredictable weather and rough terrain.
A Delta flight flips in Toronto
The most recent scare happened just this past week — on Feb. 17, when a Delta plane flipped over after crash-landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. While all 80 passengers and crew survived, 18 were injured. Investigators aren’t sure yet if snowy conditions played a role, but given the back-to-back winter storms in the area, it’s definitely a possibility. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is now leading the investigation.
Have there been other recent plane incidents?
It’s not just the major crashes making headlines — there have been several other alarming aviation incidents recently.
Take United Airlines, for example: On Feb. 12, one of the carrier’s flights had to turn back to Chicago O’Hare shortly after takeoff, because of a cockpit windshield issue. Sounds serious, right? But authorities haven’t shared exactly what went wrong, only that passengers were moved to another plane.
Then there was that bizarre early-February incident in Seattle, where a Japan Airlines plane clipped a parked Delta jet while taxiing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. According to Delta, their Boeing 737 was waiting to be de-iced when another aircraft’s wingtip hit its tail. No one was hurt, and flights didn’t seem to be delayed, but the FAA is already investigating.
And if those moments weren’t enough, a United Airlines plane caught fire just before takeoff in Houston: A passenger captured a terrifying video showing flames and smoke shooting from the wing as the plane sped down the runway. Thankfully, all 104 passengers were evacuated safely, but the FAA is now looking into what happened.
But it’s not just commercial airlines experiencing trouble. Last week, a jet owned by Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil crashed into a parked plane at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, killing the pilot and injuring four others. (Neil wasn’t on board at the time.) A Jet Pros spokesperson told CNN that the company was “fully cooperating” with authorities as they investigated the incident.
Security concerns have also been on the rise. Last month, authorities found two stowaways dead inside the wheel well of a JetBlue plane that landed in Fort Lauderdale. And on another JetBlue flight in early January, a passenger opened an emergency exit door and deployed the slide while the plane was still taxiing at Logan Airport in Boston — allegedly because he was arguing with his girlfriend. Luckily, no one was hurt (but talk about a dramatic exit).
Is it still safe to fly?
Understandably, many feel uneasy about flying right now, especially after the Trump administration’s recent decision to lay off hundreds of FAA employees, including key safety technicians. While Democrats have sounded the alarm, the U.S. Department of Transportation reassured travelers that “the FAA continues to hire and onboard air traffic controllers and safety professionals, including mechanics and others who support them.”
Despite these concerns, aviation experts maintain that air travel remains the safest mode of transportation. A 2024 Bureau of Transportation Statistics report underscores this point: In 2022, transportation-related incidents caused 44,546 deaths — nearly all involving motor vehicles. Meanwhile, commercial airline crashes resulted in zero fatalities that year. This trend continued into 2023, with early estimates showing a decline in transportation-related deaths and, once again, no fatal crashes involving large commercial airlines. However, the report notes that general aviation, commuter flights, and air taxi services — subject to less-stringent safety regulations — accounted for several hundred fatalities.
The National Safety Council paints a similar picture: The odds of dying in a car crash are 1 in 93, but when it comes to flying, fatal accidents are so rare, they can’t even be accurately calculated. So while recent events may raise concerns and make headlines, the data should offer some reassurance amid plenty of uncertainty.
