By: Margareth Thatcher Prajogo
Recent Plane Crashes as of February 17, 2025:
- January 29, 2025 – Washington DC (67 lives lost), crashed around the US capital
- January 31, 2025 – Philadelphia (7 lost their lives), 6 people in the air, 1 in the ground after crashing into Philadelphia homes
- February 6, 2025 – Alaska (10 passed away), crashed on sea ice the deadliest in the past 25 years of the state
- February 10, 2025 – Scottsdale, Arizona (1 passed, 3 injured) and burst into flames
- February 17, 2025 – Toronto (3 victims critically injured)
- There are other incidents but are smaller, and have caused minor injuries to passengers.
What the Public Believes: Due to the higher number of social media posts on plane crashes, families are beginning to worry about the continuous rise of plane crashes.
Causes of Recent Plane Crashes: Currently, there have been no published investigations on the causes, however, The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are continuing to investigate the sudden increase in plane crashes by conducting research, but results will likely be issued in the following year.
What the Authority is Publically Stating: Experts say that there is no cause for alarm for the future of air travel. Sean Duffy, a transportation secretary said that air travel is “way safer than traveling in a car and train. This is the safest mode of transportation”. There is a 1 in 93 chance of dying inside a car, while the odds of passing in an airplane are too rare to calculate. Also, the amount of crashes has not risen (per year). In the year 1972, 3,346 people died, nearing the 2000s, there was an average of fewer than 2000 people passing away due to plane-related accidents, and towards the 2010s, it was rare to exceed 1000 deaths. In 2024, the number of deaths due to the plane stands at 416.
Is Climate Change a Contributing Factor? Aviation and plane flights have always been a contributing factor to climate change, however, climate change is also affecting flights today. There have been studies conducted, saying that recent climate has caused turbulence that is caused by stronger winds, faster jet streams, and storms. Also, flooding runways are making it harder for planes to take off.
Bibliography:
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/plane-crashes-increasing-reasons-pennsylvania-b1211755.html
https://www.arnolditkin.com/blog/injury/78-lives-lost-examining-the-surge-in-2025-plane-