The last month and a half has seen a spate of aircraft accidents involving United States air carriers. The latest occurrence took place on Monday when a Delta Air Lines regional jet crashed and flipped over on the tarmac at Toronto Pearson Airport. All 80 people aboard Delta Flight 4819 survived the crash. The airport conditions at that time included high wind gusts and blowing snow. However, investigators have not tied the conditions directly to the cause of the crash.The Hearst Television Data Team analyzed a National Transportation Safety Board database of carrier flight accidents and occurrences and found an average of 28 air carrier flights each year over the past 20 years involved an accident or some level of “occurrence.”The actual number of accidents has varied annually since 2005, with that year and 2019 recording the high of 40 air carrier accidents, and 2020 having the lowest number at 15.The flights in the database originated in or landed in the U.S. This is a small fraction of the roughly 27,000 passenger flights the Federal Aviation Administration oversees in the United States each day. Accidents are defined as events during aircraft operations that cause serious injury, death or destruction. While occurrences are abnormal events that are neither considered an accident or incident. So far, the plane crash at Toronto Pearson Airport is classified as an occurrence by the NTSB. It is one of seven aviation events that have occurred in January and February of 2025. That number is on pace to match the data from the past 20 years, which shows an average of 2.33 accidents per month and an average of 2.14 accidents for January and February.In January alone, there were three aviation accidents, one that is unclassified in the data, one listed as a serious event and then one fatal event – the Jan. 29 crash in Washington, D.C., between an American Airlines plane and U.S. Army Black Hawk that killed 67 people.Not included in the dataset but important to note is the medical jet that crashed in Northeast Philadelphia on Jan. 31, killing all six people on board, one person on the ground, and injuring 24 others. Dr. Michael McCormick, a program coordinator and associate professor of air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, considers these as rare events that tend to get “larger than life attention” from the media and public. “These are singular, unique events that happen to be happening at a short period of time…there’s no connectivity to them,” said McCormick. McCormick also said the factors that cause flight delays are often the same things that cause accidents, in particular, the weather. The data shows the months with the most accidents tend to be December, February, August and June. “In winter, it’s not just the snow, it’s also the need to do de-icing of the aircraft and if the de-icing of the aircraft is not done in a timely manner, then the aircraft can lose lift and that results in an aircraft accident,” said McCormick. “In the summertime, you have much more compacted weather. You have thunderstorms, they can contribute to accidents,” said McCormick.The data analysis from the Hearst Television team also found that most air carrier accidents do not result in deaths. However, they can lead to more serious injuries, with some individuals requiring hospitalization for more than 48 hours.Whether it is concern about accidents or the impact of weather on aviation, McCormick said there are simple ways to reduce anxiety, starting with your choice on when to fly. “In general the earlier flight in the day, the less likely there is going to be weather and less likely going to be any delays and missed connections,” said McCormick. “Thursday and Friday have a tendency to be busier because are starting their leisure travel.”PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
The last month and a half has seen a spate of aircraft accidents involving United States air carriers.
The latest occurrence took place on Monday when a Delta Air Lines regional jet crashed and flipped over on the tarmac at Toronto Pearson Airport. All 80 people aboard Delta Flight 4819 survived the crash. The airport conditions at that time included high wind gusts and blowing snow. However, investigators have not tied the conditions directly to the cause of the crash.
The Hearst Television Data Team analyzed a National Transportation Safety Board database of carrier flight accidents and occurrences and found an average of 28 air carrier flights each year over the past 20 years involved an accident or some level of “occurrence.”
The actual number of accidents has varied annually since 2005, with that year and 2019 recording the high of 40 air carrier accidents, and 2020 having the lowest number at 15.
The flights in the database originated in or landed in the U.S. This is a small fraction of the roughly 27,000 passenger flights the Federal Aviation Administration oversees in the United States each day.
Accidents are defined as events during aircraft operations that cause serious injury, death or destruction. While occurrences are abnormal events that are neither considered an accident or incident.
So far, the plane crash at Toronto Pearson Airport is classified as an occurrence by the NTSB. It is one of seven aviation events that have occurred in January and February of 2025. That number is on pace to match the data from the past 20 years, which shows an average of 2.33 accidents per month and an average of 2.14 accidents for January and February.
In January alone, there were three aviation accidents, one that is unclassified in the data, one listed as a serious event and then one fatal event – the Jan. 29 crash in Washington, D.C., between an American Airlines plane and U.S. Army Black Hawk that killed 67 people.
Not included in the dataset but important to note is the medical jet that crashed in Northeast Philadelphia on Jan. 31, killing all six people on board, one person on the ground, and injuring 24 others.
Dr. Michael McCormick, a program coordinator and associate professor of air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, considers these as rare events that tend to get “larger than life attention” from the media and public.
“These are singular, unique events that happen to be happening at a short period of time…there’s no connectivity to them,” said McCormick.
McCormick also said the factors that cause flight delays are often the same things that cause accidents, in particular, the weather. The data shows the months with the most accidents tend to be December, February, August and June.
“In winter, it’s not just the snow, it’s also the need to do de-icing of the aircraft and if the de-icing of the aircraft is not done in a timely manner, then the aircraft can lose lift and that results in an aircraft accident,” said McCormick. “In the summertime, you have much more compacted weather. You have thunderstorms, they can contribute to accidents,” said McCormick.
The data analysis from the Hearst Television team also found that most air carrier accidents do not result in deaths. However, they can lead to more serious injuries, with some individuals requiring hospitalization for more than 48 hours.
Whether it is concern about accidents or the impact of weather on aviation, McCormick said there are simple ways to reduce anxiety, starting with your choice on when to fly.
“In general the earlier flight in the day, the less likely there is going to be weather and less likely going to be any delays and missed connections,” said McCormick. “Thursday and Friday have a tendency to be busier because [people] are starting their leisure travel.”
