Federal Aviation Administration/Airlines&Airplanes

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7 dead, including 1 on ground, after a medevac jet with a child patient and her mother crashes in Philadelphia, mayor says

Seven people are dead, including one in a car on the ground, after a twin-engine medevac jet carrying a child patient and her mother crashed in a neighborhood in northeast Philadelphia Friday night, the mayor said Saturday morning. At least 19 were injured on the ground.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/31/us/philadelphia-jet-crash-fire/index.html?

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Before D.C. Airport Collision, Lawmakers Brushed Off Warnings And Boosted Flights

Months before Wednesday night’s fatal midair collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Washington, lawmakers brushed off safety warnings amid midflight near-misses and passed an industry-backed measure designed to add additional flight traffic at the same D.C. airport where the Jan. 29 disaster unfolded.

https://www.levernews.com/before-d-c-airport-collision-lawmakers-brushed-off-warnings-and-boosted-flights/

Data from the deadliest U.S. air accident in 24 years show conflicting altitude readings

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Preliminary data from the deadliest U.S. aviation accident in nearly 25 years showed conflicting readings about the altitudes of an airliner and Army helicopter when they collided near Reagan National Airport in Washington, killing everyone aboard both aircraft, investigators said Saturday.

https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-crash-helicopter-recovery-980dcaf1acb6f80260146edbaaa9e4c1?

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DC air disaster

Recovery crews in Washington, DC, will resume their search today for the remains of a dozen people presumed killed in last week's fatal midair collision. Dive teams have recovered 55 of the 67 crash victims from the debris in the Potomac River, officials said. The mangled wreckage of the American Airlines jet has made the recovery effort especially difficult for dive teams who have struggled to access parts of the plane's fuselage. The Army Corps of Engineers will start working to remove the remnants of the jet today, according to a news release. Then, engineers will switch their focus to the wreckage of the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the collision.

 

5 people remain hospitalized after Philadelphia plane crash that killed 7 Three people injured on the ground when a jet crashed in a busy Philadelphia neighborhood, killing seven people, remain in critical condition, Mayor Cherelle Parker said Sunday. Parker said 22 people were injured and five of them remain hospitalized. At least 11 homes were significantly damaged, along with some businesses. Read more.

Key points: A Mexico-bound air ambulance plunged to the ground Friday evening, less than a minute after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport with six people on board, including a girl who had spent months being treated at a city hospital. One of the dead was killed inside a car as debris from the Learjet 55 crash exploded into the neighborhood, damaging nearby homes.   The crash came just two days after the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001, when an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair in Washington, D.C., with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ They died on a flight to Washington. These are some of their stories   Friends say Army captain killed in midair collision was a ‘brilliant and fearless’ patriot   Who is Sean Duffy, the public face of the federal government’s response to the DC plane crash?

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Salvage crews recover engine, large portion of jet from river after deadly air collision near DC

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Salvage crews have recovered an engine and large pieces of fuselage and are working to retrieve a wing from the wreckage of a commercial airliner involved in last week’s midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport, officials said Monday.

https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-crash-helicopter-recovery-958ac5e48c5061625718a5a4280608f6?

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Midair collision

Crews working at the site of last week's deadly midair collision in Washington, DC, have recovered the remains of all 67 victims. The American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission ran into each other over the Potomac River in an accident that remains unexplained. More parts of the plane — which will also form pieces of the puzzle investigators are trying to solve — were pulled from the river Tuesday. However, inclement weather will bear down on Washington today, with snow, sleet and freezing rain expected to worsen already tough conditions for recovery personnel. 

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Boy who protected sister from plane crash debris is making ‘miraculous’ recovery

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A 10-year-old boy has been making a “miraculous” recovery after protecting his younger sister from the flying debris of a medical transport plane that crashed in Philadelphia last week, his family said.

https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-mexico-plane-crash-3ec6aacf76e59722fa7b3e30bfd91214?

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Missing plane

A Cessna plane with 10 people on board disappeared during a flight in Alaska, according to local and state officials. The small aircraft, operated by Bering Air, was en route Thursday evening from Unalakleet to Nome, both cities in western Alaska separated by the Norton Sound inlet. Flight tracking data shows the plane was about 12 miles offshore when its position was lost, the Coast Guard said. The search for the plane comes as US air safety investigators continue to probe two deadly incidents in recent weeks, including a midair collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet near Washington, DC, killing 67 people, and the crash of a medevac jet in Philadelphia that killed 7.

 

Missing commuter plane found crashed on Alaska sea ice and all 10 aboard died, authorities say

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A small commuter plane that crashed in western Alaska on its way to the hub community of Nome was located Friday on sea ice, and all 10 people on board died, authorities said.

https://apnews.com/article/missing-aircraft-alaska-search-10-people-eb496188285ed54c9a527f658d4ff70a?

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Here’s what we know about a commuter plane crash in Alaska that killed 10 people

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Authorities are focusing on the wreckage of a plane that crashed off western Alaska as they try to determine what caused the small commuter aircraft to go down in the icy Bering Sea, killing 10 people.

https://apnews.com/article/alaska-plane-crash-recovery-investigation-28c8fd9e0fd1f1d450c94aaef81cc0f1?

Recent aviation disasters cause fears about the safety of flying

The spate of recent aviation disasters and close calls have people worried about the safety of flying.

https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-safety-ntsb-faa-69bf8b4b3562670c7226d9d6f07925a0?

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✈️ Major air traffic control shortages

Data: FAA. (Based on 2024 targets by the FAA and the air traffic controllers' union. Doesn't include ARTCCs.) Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals A huge number of the country's air traffic control facilities are understaffed, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports. By the numbers: The nation's airport control towers and approach/departure facilities had 7,047 certified controllers as of September 2023. That's nearly 2,000 short of the goal set jointly by the FAA and the air traffic controllers union. ?️ Stunning stat: Of 313 total facilities the FAA evaluated, only 23 met or exceeded their staffing goal. That means 93% fell short. A vital New York City area facility had 146 certified controllers, compared to a goal of 226. Go deeper.

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No, transgender pilot wasn't flying Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in DC | Fact check

The claim: Transgender pilot was flying Black Hawk helicopter that collided with American Airlines jet

A Jan. 31 Instagram post (direct link, archived link) claims a transgender pilot was involved in a deadly mid-air collision in Washington, D.C.“Breaking Black Hawk pilot identified as transgender officer with strong anti Trump views," the video claims. “The pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the deadly mid air collision with an American Airlines flight at Reagan National Airport has been identified as Chief Warrant Officer Joe (sic) Ellis of the Virginia National Guard.”

The post received nearly 3,000 likes in 10 days, and similar posts spread on Facebook and X.

Our rating: False

Virginia Army National Guard pilot Jo Ellis was not flying the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the collision. The Army identified the soldiers killed in the crash as Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves and Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach. Ellis also posted a video statement to her Facebook on Jan. 31 confirming she was not involved.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2025/02/10/transgender-pilot-dc-plane-crash-fact-check/78340834007/?

ps:No it can't be FB and X posted this lie??

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Private jets collide at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, killing 1 person, authorities say

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — One person was killed and others were injured when a private jet owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil collided with another jet Monday afternoon at the Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, authorities said.

https://apnews.com/article/arizona-private-jet-crash-scottsdale-airport-b3d54b61cda17a21c76a994a1b4eaf1d?

A pilot on a private jet owned by Mötley Crüe singer killed in Arizona aircraft collision

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — One of two pilots died on a private jet owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil after the aircraft veered off a runway in Arizona and hit a business jet, according to a Federal Aviation Administration incident report.

https://apnews.com/article/motley-crue-jet-vince-neil-arizona-scottsdale-76255e84a4f7af81630a77a26788275f?

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Helicopter crew in collision with plane may not have heard key instruction from tower, NTSB says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The crew of the Army helicopter that collided in midair with an American Airlines jet near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash, and also may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers to move behind the plane, investigators said Friday.

https://apnews.com/article/washington-national-airport-aircraft-crash-ntsb-3dec2686beb43ada10ce392c857751cc?

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Flight downgrades

You arrive at the airport and are told that you won’t get the airplane seat you paid for. While uncommon, it happens more often than you might think. A travel pro explains your options.   ✈️ Flight-flip miracle   Photo: Ian Willms for The New York Times A Delta plane from Minneapolis crashed and flipped on its back while landing in Toronto yesterday — injuring 18 but not killing anybody. Officials said all 80 on board were evacuated from the aircraft, which flipped amid windy weather after a weekend snowstorm hit the area, Axios' Avery Lotz writes. One of the plane's wings was torn off during the incident, which left three people — including a child — critically injured. ? Zoom out: The crash follows a midair collision last month between a commercial aircraft and a U.S. Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport. Despite these incidents, data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows flying is the safest form of transportation. Recent aviation disasters. Delta plane crash At least 18 people were injured after a Delta Air Lines flight crashed on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport while attempting to land on Monday. The passenger plane with 80 people on board from Minneapolis made a hard landing in snowy conditions and ended upside down. One of the wings was shorn off as the aircraft tumbled, spitting out a huge fireball and leaving passengers "hanging like bats" in their seats. Everyone on board was evacuated safely and none of the injuries appeared life-threatening, officials said. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.

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What to know about the airplane that crashed while landing at Toronto’s airport

A passenger jet made a hard landing before it lost a wing, burst into flames and flipped onto its roof at Toronto’s airport, the fourth major aviation accident in North America in the past three weeks.

https://apnews.com/article/delta-plane-flip-toronto-canada-airport-minneapolis-6d064bbc7a3bb8595183d6765d61a0ee?

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✈️ Charted: Nervous skies

Data: Google Trends. Chart: Axios Visuals A series of high-profile airline accidents has caused a spike in Americans questioning how safe it is to fly, Axios' Jaden Amos and Alex Fitzpatrick write from Google Trends data. Why it matters: The only time more Americans searched that question was during the pandemic, when there was confusion about how likely it was for the virus to spread on a plane.   Delta plane crash Investigators are working to determine what caused a Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis to crash and roll over on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday. Dramatic new video shows the jet's rear landing gear buckling and the right wing shearing away in a fireball after making a hard landing. Aviation experts tell CNN that advancements in aircraft design and seat safety prevented the crash from being much worse. While the incident has renewed some fears about flying, analysts say it's important to remember that commercial air travel in the US has been safer than ever before. There have been fewer fatalities on scheduled commercial airliners over the last 15 years than in any other 15-year stretch.

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2 people are dead in a small plane collision at a southern Arizona airport

A midair collision involving two small planes in southern Arizona killed two people Wednesday morning, authorities said.

https://apnews.com/article/arizona-small-plane-collision-763524e34ee9f1b9315b30121f3ec584?

Arizona plane crash

Two people are dead after a midair collision between two small aircraft Wednesday at Arizona's Marana Regional Airport, just northwest of Tucson. While the investigation is ongoing, officials have confirmed two people were on each plane. The crash follows a recent string of aviation incidents beginning with the January 29 midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which killed 67 people when a military helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet collided. Since then, four other aviation incidents have drawn national attention to air safety.

Americans’ confidence in air travel safety dips slightly after Washington plane crash: AP-NORC poll The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows Americans’ confidence in air travel and the federal agencies tasked with maintaining air safety has slipped a little from last year, following a recent crash in Washington. Read more.

Key points: The survey shows that 64% of U.S. adults say plane travel is “very safe” or “somewhat safe.” That’s down slightly from last year, when 71% said that. About 2 in 10 U.S. adults now say air transportation is very or somewhat unsafe, up from 12% in 2024. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.   Independents’ belief that plane travel is safe fell substantially, from about 6 in 10 calling it safe last year to about 4 in 10 now. About 7 in 10 Democrats say plane travel is safe, down slightly from about three-quarters in 2024. Republicans have not changed their views about air travel being safe.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Some of the 400 jobs that were cut at the FAA helped support air safety, a union says   Trump says he’s considering buying used planes to serve as Air Force One amid Boeing delays   What’s the key to surviving a plane crash? Skilled crew, strong seats and wings that detach

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What’s the key to surviving a plane crash? Skilled crew, strong seats and wings that detach

After watching videos of a Delta Air Lines jet catch fire upon landing and flip over on a Toronto runway, it’s fair to wonder how anyone could have survived.

https://apnews.com/article/toronto-delta-air-lines-80-survived-87ccdaddb075630cbeb8fa537814db66?

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? Cheapest airports

Data: Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Chart: Axios Visuals Washington Dulles, John Wayne (Santa Ana, Calif.) and San Francisco International are the costliest U.S. airports to fly out of domestically, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes from Transportation Department data. But vacation hotspots, including Las Vegas and Orlando, had some of the cheapest departures among the country's 50 busiest airports for domestic travel.

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That’s the spirit

After a string of airline incidents, some people are having reservations about flying. But they’re standing by a surprising carrier known for its tiny seats, frequent delays and baggage fees — in addition to charging for snacks and drinks.

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A midair collision in Arizona prompts questions about air traffic control towers

Tens of thousands of planes take off, land and perform touch-and-goes at the Marana Regional Airport in southern Arizona every year. Without an air traffic control tower, it’s a calculated dance that requires communication by pilots.

https://apnews.com/article/midair-crash-arizona-air-traffic-control-towers-95eabcb512f6dfd98ede5193e1b428af?

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Conflict of interest?

The Federal Aviation Administration agreed to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system to upgrade the IT networks it uses to manage US airspace. The contract is raising concerns as CEO Elon Musk recommends funding cuts at federal agencies — including the FAA.

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Air travel safety

There was a close call at Chicago's Midway International Airport on Tuesday as a private jet entered a runway without authorization and forced a Southwest Airlines plane to abort its landing. About 90 minutes earlier above Washington, DC, an American Airlines flight was forced to cancel its landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to avoid a departing plane, according to The New York Times. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incidents, as well as a string of other recent aviation disasters that have put many travelers on edge. Still, experts say flying on a US commercial airline is one of the safest things you can do, and it's become incredibly safe in the last 40 years. Data also shows that there were fewer airline accidents last month than any other January on record.

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Plane crashes have people freaked out – but here’s what US data for 2025 shows

People across the US are worried about flight safety after several high-profile plane crashes this year, including a commercial crash in Washington DC that killed 67 people . Google searches for “is flying safe” have jumped in recent weeks. But the numbers suggest 2025 has actually been a relatively safe year to fly – at least in terms of the overall number of accidents.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3835573817214-plane-crashes-have-people-freaked-out-but-heres-what-us-data-for-2025-shows?

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Flight safety

Lawmakers and aviation organizations are grappling with whether the US has maintained its title as "the gold standard" when it comes to flight safety. During a House hearing Tuesday, experts expressed concerns about the nation's aging infrastructure, chronic air traffic controller staffing shortages and what they called a broken hiring process. Rep. Troy Nehls — a Texas Republican and chairman of the subcommittee on aviation — pointed out that 105 of the Federal Aviation Administration's 138 systems are unsustainable or potentially unsustainable. The questioning comes following a string of aviation incidents, including the deadly midair collision near Washington, DC, in January and other close calls throughout the country.

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?️ The airplane of the future

Rendering of JetZero's sustainable aircraft design. Photo: JetZero/Delta This revolutionary aircraft could be the future of aviation, Axios transportation expert Joann Muller writes. The blended-wing-body airframe is expected to be up to 50% more fuel-efficient than today's tube-and-wing aircraft. With the engines mounted on top of the aircraft, it's also expected to be quieter, and could one day run on sustainable aviation fuel. ? State of play: Delta Air Lines is helping a California startup, JetZero, bring the aircraft to the skies for testing as soon as 2027. A grant from the Air Force and support from other partners, including Northrop Grumman and Scaled Composites, are also helping. The plane's unique shape offers endless possibilities, Delta said, including dedicated overhead bin space for 250 passengers, accessible seats and lavatories, and fewer rows. Go deeper.