So far in 2025 there have been a total of 87 plane crashes, 13 of which caused deaths. The more well-known crashes are the Blackhawk and American Airlines flight in Washington, D.C. The Air Ambulance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the most recent one when a Delta flight flipped as they flew into Toronto, Canada.
“My dad flies a lot so with all of these plane crashes it has been a little bit scary when he is gone. I’ve never really thought about it before all of the ones in the news because I never saw very much about it and thought it was rare,” freshman Gigi Ralph said.
There have been other less well-known crashes as well. There was one which went missing over Alaska and was later found crashed in the water. In Scottsdale, Arizona, two private jets crashed into each other on the runway. These are only in North America; there have been more in other countries.
Our local community has been impacted by plane crashes in recent years. There was a plane crash which occurred in 2016 and impacted students at Olentangy Liberty High School. Ellie MacDowell, English teacher, was a student at Liberty at the time, and remembers the days which followed the plane crash that resulted in the passing of six passengers, which included one of her classmates.
“I remember coming back to school and how the community came together. We all supported one another,” MacDowell said.
The increase in plane crashes this year has begun to scare travelers away from flying. People have expressed their concerns on different forms of social media. Some concerns are pilot training, aviation protocols and rules and issues with the staff.
After the Toronto crash it was found the co-pilot had less than the required hours needed to fly. She also completed her training in a short time. She had flown during bad weather, and she was not prepared. People have started to question the hiring practices of airlines because of this incident. However, not all seem to be worried.
“My parents fly a lot so I have been paying attention a little bit, but it doesn’t bother me that much. I trust pilots,” sophomore Adelyn Espy said.
Despite concerns about aviation safety, experts continue to say that flying remains one of the safest modes of transportation. While recent crashes have raised questions about pilot training and airline regulations. As discussions about airline safety continue, passengers must stay informed while also recognizing that each flight is backed by protocols designed to keep people safe.
