The year 2025 has witnessed a notable amount of aviation incidents, raising concerns among travelers and experts alike. While air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation, the severity of recent events has had people wondering about safety measures and preparedness of the flights they were taking.
Based on my findings on NTSB as of early 2025, the United States has reported approximately 87 aviation accidents, including 13 fatal incidents resulting in 89 deaths. The deadliest crash happened on January 29. According to CNN, a mid-air collision over the Potomac River claimed the lives of 67 individuals aboard two aircrafts.
For Colorado residents, a concerning incident occurred on March 13 involving American Airlines Flight 1006, a Boeing 737-800, en route from Colorado Springs to Dallas-Fort Worth. The aircraft experienced high engine vibrations, which prompted a diversion to Denver International Airport. After landing, while taxiing to the gate, the right engine caught fire. Emergency fire equipment did not arrive for several minutes. According to Wikipedia, “Several dozen passengers deplaned using the left over-wing exits, but had to wait for ground crew to bring air stairs and ramps since trailing-edge wing flaps were not deployed as a slide. The other passengers used the air bridge and the right rear inflatable slide.” Passengers reported inhaling smoke and fire retardant during evacuation and required hospital treatment. A lawsuit has been filed against the airline, alleging negligence and misconduct.
Although it may seem like there are more plane crashes occurring in the past two decades, there is actually a downward trend. The BBC has an article that talks about the crashes and shows graphs that shows the global accident rate. The same thing is happening in the United States. There is a downward trend in plane accidents over the years.
I have been flying my entire life, with a flight out of the country every year since I was 2 years old. I enjoy traveling and have the privilege to do so with my family. But, with the reported crashes in 2025 I was concerned when we went to Mexico this year.
I think that people’s brains have tricked them into thinking that plane crashes are happening more often due to the severe cases we have seen. In the beginning of the year the mid-air coalition on January 29th shocked everyone. It put the initial doubt into people’s minds with planes. And with that, news outlets would jump onto any accident to make it seem like flying is dangerous. So with the mix of media coverage and peoples brains tricking them, there has been the misconception that planes are getting more dangerous.
Overall, planes are not getting more dangerous, but with media coverage and the severity of the accidents that have happened, we have been convinced that they are.
