How deadly has air travel been in 2025? Here is what to know
A commercial plane and an Army helicopter collided, a regional jet rolled over on landing and a family of five was killed after a helicopter plunged into the Hudson River – all three incidents from the first part of this year add to the anxieties of the flying public. The crashes are among more than a hundred incidents this year, involving everything from commercial airliners to smaller, so-called general aviation aircraft often flown by private pilots. And it’s only April. Air carriers even reported a drop in ticket sales following the string of high-profile incidents, as customers reported a fear of flying. That begs the question: Has this year been one of the most dangerous years to fly? Reports analyzed by CNN from the National Transportation Safety Board show the number of accident investigations is down for the first quarter of 2025. The NTSB led 171 civil aviation investigations from January to March 2025, which include commercial, general, rotorcraft and specialized aircraft. During the same time frame last year, there were 185 investigations. And the first three months of 2010 to 2019 averaged 215 investigations. CNN transportation analyst Mary Schiavo attributes the public’s perception of declining aviation safety to the moments caught on video that “rattle everybody.” She points to January’s midair collision between a US Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, caught on surveillance camera, as a prime example that struck fear in the public. “The arrogance of flying through commercial air space without the proper equipment turned on or functioning,” Schiavo said. “I mean, that’s just arrogance beyond belief. In aviation, there’s just no room for arrogance.” The helicopter was flying without using a tracking system called ADS-B. “I think this year is bad, even more, other than DCA, because of all the things that have come to light. Without the NTSB, would we have ever known about the 15,000 near misses,” she said, referring to the 15,214 near miss events the board uncovered from 2021 and 2024, where aircraft were within one nautical mile of colliding at Reagan National Airport. “That’s shocking - we wouldn’t have known about that.”<br/>
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How deadly has air travel been in 2025? Here is what to know
A commercial plane and an Army helicopter collided, a regional jet rolled over on landing and a family of five was killed after a helicopter plunged into the Hudson River – all three incidents from the first part of this year add to the anxieties of the flying public. The crashes are among more than a hundred incidents this year, involving everything from commercial airliners to smaller, so-called general aviation aircraft often flown by private pilots. And it’s only April. Air carriers even reported a drop in ticket sales following the string of high-profile incidents, as customers reported a fear of flying. That begs the question: Has this year been one of the most dangerous years to fly? Reports analyzed by CNN from the National Transportation Safety Board show the number of accident investigations is down for the first quarter of 2025. The NTSB led 171 civil aviation investigations from January to March 2025, which include commercial, general, rotorcraft and specialized aircraft. During the same time frame last year, there were 185 investigations. And the first three months of 2010 to 2019 averaged 215 investigations. CNN transportation analyst Mary Schiavo attributes the public’s perception of declining aviation safety to the moments caught on video that “rattle everybody.” She points to January’s midair collision between a US Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, caught on surveillance camera, as a prime example that struck fear in the public. “The arrogance of flying through commercial air space without the proper equipment turned on or functioning,” Schiavo said. “I mean, that’s just arrogance beyond belief. In aviation, there’s just no room for arrogance.” The helicopter was flying without using a tracking system called ADS-B. “I think this year is bad, even more, other than DCA, because of all the things that have come to light. Without the NTSB, would we have ever known about the 15,000 near misses,” she said, referring to the 15,214 near miss events the board uncovered from 2021 and 2024, where aircraft were within one nautical mile of colliding at Reagan National Airport. “That’s shocking - we wouldn’t have known about that.”<br/>
