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By John Feng and Hugh Cameron
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A string of recent plane crashes have intensified concerns about U.S. aviation safety, already at fever pitch since the mid-air collision of a Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines passenger jet on January 29.
On Friday morning, officials reported that a private plane had crashed in Greenville, North Carolina. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) informed Newsweek that the plane had two occupants, but their condition remains unknown.
Former employees of the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have previously told Newsweek that U.S. aviation safety is in dire need of reform, with one former accident investigator saying that the series of accidents in 2025 marks a "disturbing trend that has rarely been seen in nearly two decades."
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How Many Aviation Accidents Have Occurred in 2025?
The map below shows U.S. aviation accidents in 2025, separated into fatal and non-fatal incidents. Using FAA data, Newsweek found that there have been 56 significant fatal and nonfatal accidents involving military or civilian planes so far this year.
The map includes incidents involving both large and small aircraft that crashed, veered off the runway, or were involved in taxiway collisions at airports, while less severe FAA cases—such as flights that landed safely or aborted takeoff due to engine problems or other issues—were excluded.
Although the potential death toll is lower, small aircraft crashes have taken place in recent weeks, raising concerns about the overall security of American air travel.
On Sunday, a light aircraft with five people on board crashed and caught fire in the parking lot of a retirement community in suburban Pennsylvania. While all passengers sustained some injuries, officials said none were killed as a result.
In late February, two similar incidents occurred, both involving small aircraft. On February 24, a Starduster Too went down west of Fort Worth, Texas. Two days later, a Piper PA-28 crashed into Equinox Mountain in Manchester, Vermont. Neither crash resulted in any recorded fatalities.
What People Are Saying
Alan Diehl, the former investigator with the NTSB who has also served as a safety adviser for the FAA and US. Air Force, told Newsweek that the FAA's priority should be reemphasizing "aeronautical decision-making."
"Judgment errors have been shown to be associated with the majority of fatal general aviation crashes," Diehl said.
In addition, Diehl noted the shortage of air traffic control personnel in the U.S. The FAA is reportedly in need of an additional 3,000 air traffic controllers, this having been cited as a contributing factor in last month's fatal crash over the Potomac.
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"The FAA should immediately remove the age 56 mandatory retirement for controllers," Diehl told Newsweek, "as the secretary of transportation has recently suggested."
"FAA might also consider hiring individuals who passed the air traffic control aptitude test in past years, but were denied jobs because of affirmative action decisions made by previous administrations," he added.
Aviation attorney Erin Applebaum previously told Newsweek that public confidence in aviation safety and the FAA in particular was at an "all-time low," as a result of the "the avoidable tragedies and near-misses that have occurred in recent years."
"The Trump administration now has the opportunity to set a different tone," she said, while adding that whoever takes the helm of the FAA following the departure of Administrator Mike Whitaker in January must "must show the aviation industry that the FAA is an independent safety monitor and will indiscriminately hold the industry accountable for safety violations, dishonesty, and error."
What Happens Next?
The new administration is aware of the struggles in American aviation safety, which appears to have influenced its decision to exclude air traffic controllers from the "buyout" offered as part of efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
On Tuesday, the NTSB released a preliminary report on its investigation into the January 29 crash, alongside urgent recommendations for the FAA on military-civilian airspace coordination around Ronald Reagan National Airport. Senator Jerry Moran, chair of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, is set to lead a hearing on March 27 to review the findings of the NTSB report.
Update 03/14/25 12:06 p.m. ET: This article was updated following the March 14 crash in North Carolina.
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