A former pilot and crash investigator has commented on the unsettling increase in plane crashes this year. According to the U.S. National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB), there have been 120 aircraft incidents in 2025, with 22 of them resulting in fatalities.
In the past two months alone, the aviation world has seen a series of tragic events. On January 29, a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C.—involving an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter—claimed 67 lives. Just two days later, a medical plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing all six on board as well as a pedestrian. Then, on February 6, a small charter aircraft went down in Alaska, causing ten fatalities. More recently, on February 17, a Delta flight flipped upon landing in Toronto, although fortunately, all 76 passengers and four crew members survived.
Amid this distressing trend, passengers are understandably questioning the reasons behind the rising number of aviation mishaps. Shawn Pruchnicki, an expert who has spent years analyzing aviation accidents—with his research published by NASA and the FAA—said that insiders have been warning about a weakening safety cushion for years. He explained that the safety margin, built over decades, has steadily diminished as planes now often fly dangerously close to each other, sometimes merely a few hundred feet apart.
Pruchnicki attributes this increase in incidents largely to a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers, who are under enormous pressure knowing that even a minor error could be fatal. He also expressed concern over the trend of airlines hiring and promoting pilots with significantly less experience than before.
To address these challenges, Pruchnicki recommends investing in technology to assist both pilots and air traffic controllers—not to replace them, but to enhance their effectiveness. He also calls for the recruitment of more qualified air traffic controllers and for the swift adoption of safety measures recommended by the NTSB.
These warnings come at a time when public confidence in air travel is waning; an AP-NORC poll indicates that the percentage of Americans who feel that flying is “very or somewhat safe” has dropped from 71 percent last year to just 64 percent in 2025.