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By Rachel Dobkin
Weekend Reporter
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In light of the tragic American Airlines plane crash Wednesday night, many travelers may feel nervous about taking to the skies again, but data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shows that fatal flight accidents in the U.S. are rare.
However, when you look at flight accidents in which there were no casualties, those are more common among private and charter planes.
Jim Brauchle, an aviation attorney for Motley Rice and former U.S. Air Force navigator, told Newsweek via video chat on Thursday, "There is probably, maybe not every day, but probably on average, every other day, a plane crash somewhere in the United States," adding that "almost 99 percent of the time" those crashes involve noncommercial planes.
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Newsweek reached out to the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) via email for comment on Thursday.
Why It Matters
An American Airlines plane originating from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. at around 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
A large search-and-rescue operation has been launched in the nearby Potomac River. The precise number of casualties and survivors remains unclear, but D.C. Fire EMS Chief John Donnelly said at a Thursday morning news conference, "At this point we don't believe there are any survivors."
What To Know
The last fatal crash of a commercial plane in the U.S. was in 2009 when 45 passengers, four crew members and one person on the ground were killed near Buffalo, New York, as the aircraft crashed into a house.
According to the NTSB, there were 1,017 non-fatal and 199 fatal plane crashes in 2023 among the over 48 million flight hours clocked in that year.
Plane crashes have slightly decreased over the past decade and a half. In 2008, there were 1,660 non-fatal and 299 fatal plane crashes among the over 45 million flight hours clocked in that year.
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What People Are Saying
Lawyer Jim Brauchle told Newsweek on Thursday: "I won't fly privately, but I will fly commercially, and I stick with the major carriers."
"Commercial aviation in the U.S. hasn't had a major accident since 2009. So you're talking about almost two decades of safe flying, considering all the number of flights that are going on out there. So, it's still very safe to travel, like I said, the major U. S. carriers do have a great safety record," Brauchle added.
Lawyer Mike Slack, managing partner and co-founder at Slack Davis Sanger, told Newsweek via telephone on Thursday that fatal commercial plane crashes in the U.S. are "extremely unusual."
"So, generally speaking, commercial air travel on airlines and regional airlines is very, very safe," he said, adding, "It's not say we don't have some problem areas like we saw last night."
Slack, who is a licensed pilot, said the safest time to travel via plane is probably right after a crash.
"The reaction by the industry, and I'm talking about the system, pilots, controllers and so forth, is to really sharpen their skill set. And so usually in the immediate aftermath, there's much less risk. Where the risk is that after some time and people lapse back into the old patterns and habits, then we get back to the same or worse risk environment," he said.
American Airlines told Newsweek via email: "Our concern is for the passengers and crew onboard the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.
"If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.
"American Airlines will continue to release information as it becomes available. Please monitor news.aa.com and American's official X account @AmericanAir for the latest information."
What Happens Next
Emergency responders continue to comb through the American Airlines plane wreckage site in the Potomac River. The Pentagon has launched an investigation into the crash, U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
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