Deadliest Plane Crashes in US History, What To Know
January 30, 2025
3,284
An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with a Blackhawk Army helicopter while approaching the Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. The crash resulted in multiple fatalities.
The accident is the first fatal commercial plane crash in the U.S. since 2009, when a Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane went down near Buffalo, New York, killing all 45 passengers and four crew members.
Why It Matters
Commercial plane crashes have become increasingly rare in the U.S. due to improvements in aviation technology and safety regulations. The last major fatal crash happened over a decade ago.
Despite these advancements, aviation disasters remain a serious concern, especially when involving midair collisions near major metropolitan areas. The latest incident raises new questions about airspace safety near the nation’s capital.
In this Feb. 12, 2009, file photo, the wreckage of Continental flight 3407 lies amid smoke at the scene after crashing into a suburban Buffalo home and erupting into flames. In this Feb. 12, 2009, file photo, the wreckage of Continental flight 3407 lies amid smoke at the scene after crashing into a suburban Buffalo home and erupting into flames. Dave Sherman/AP Photo
What To Know
Wednesday’s collision occurred over the Potomac River and the aircraft fell into the water. In 1982, an Air Florida flight crashed into the Potomac and killed 78.
Here are some of the deadliest commercial plane crashes in the U.S. since the Air Florida disaster, according to reports from the National Transportation Safety Board:
What Other Crashes Were Among the Deadliest?
Feb. 12, 2009: A Colgan Air plane crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane, including 45 passengers, two pilots and two flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50.
Aug. 27, 2006: A Comair flight took off from the wrong runway in Lexington, Kentucky, and crashed, killing 49 people.
Nov. 12, 2001: An American Airlines jet crashed into a residential area in Belle Harbor, New York, killing all 260 people onboard.
Sept. 11, 2001: Hijackers seized four planes, leading to the deadliest terrorist attack in history, killing nearly 3,000 people.
Jan. 31, 2000: An Alaska Airlines flight crashed into the Pacific Ocean off California, killing 88.
July 17, 1996: A Trans World Airlines flight crashed into the Atlantic near New York, killing 230.
May 11, 1996: A ValuJet plane crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 onboard.
Sept. 8, 1994: A USAir flight crashed while attempting to land in Pittsburgh. It killed 127 passengers and five crew members. The airplane was destroyed by the impact and fire.
Aug. 16, 1987: A Northwest Airlines flight crashed just after taking off in Romulus, Michigan, striking light poles, a rental car facility and the ground. The crash killed 148 passengers and six crew members.
Workers from the American Red Cross arrive at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Workers from the American Red Cross arrive at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Julio Cortez
What People Are Saying
Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas saidduring a media briefing following the collision: “When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow.”
President Donald Trump said in a statement: “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders.”
What Happens Next
The NTSB has launched an investigation into the cause of the collision. Officials are expected to review air traffic control records, pilot communications, and flight data to determine what led to the crash.
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
Um die besten Erfahrungen zu bieten, verwenden wir Technologien wie Cookies, um Geräteinformationen zu speichern und/oder darauf zuzugreifen. Wenn Sie diesen Technologien zustimmen, können wir Daten wie das Surfverhalten oder eindeutige IDs auf dieser Website verarbeiten. Die Nichteinwilligung oder der Widerruf der Einwilligung kann bestimmte Merkmale und Funktionen beeinträchtigen.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
