A heartbreaking incident occurred in a San Diego neighborhood on Thursday morning when a private jet tragically crashed, leaving at least three individuals dead. This disaster adds to a growing list of aviation incidents plaguing this year.
Nearly 100 residents needed to be evacuated after the aircraft collided with at least one house, causing jet fuel to ignite across the vicinity. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, six people were aboard the plane at the time of the crash. Although the exact number of casualties remains uncertain, the music agency Sound Talent Group confirmed the loss of its co-founder and two other employees in the tragedy.
As concerns over aviation safety intensify, the frequency of air accidents and near-misses continues to grow. Recent mishaps span from the mid-air collision in January near Washington, D.C., which claimed 67 lives, to an unsettling incident in February in which two airliners clipped each other while taxiing at the Seattle airport. In March, an American Airlines flight suffered a fiery landing in Denver, resulting in 12 hospitalizations. Last month, a sightseeing helicopter disintegrated before crashing into the Hudson River, killing six people.
Despite federal officialsโ efforts to reassure that aviation is still a safe mode of transportationโ a stance supported by statisticsโ an escalation in unsettling headlines has been drawing mounting attention.
Hereโs a glimpse into some of the recent catastrophic events:
Recent fatal crashes:
โ A downtown helicopter departed New York City on April 10, only to crash shortly after. The victims included a family from Spain, celebrating a childโs birthday.
โ In Boca Raton, Florida, on April 11, a small aircraft crashed near a major interstate, propelling a car onto railway tracks. Unfortunately, three of the passengers perished, while one sustained injuries.
โ In February, two small planes collided mid-air near an Arizona airport, killing two passengers on one plane. The other plane managed to land safely.
โ A devastating commuter plane crash in western Alaska in February resulted in the death of all ten occupants, marking one of the stateโs most destructive aviation incidents in 25 years.
โ Tragedy struck a Philadelphia neighborhood in late January when a medical transport plane went down, killing all six passengers and one bystander.
โ In the same month, a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. ended fatally for everyone onboard the aircraft.
โ Jeju Air suffered a tragic accident in December in South Korea when a plane skidded off the runway, killing all but two of the 181 passengers aboard.
Injurious incidents:
โ An engine caught fire aboard an American Airlines aircraft at Denver International Airport in March, leading to minor injuries after passengers evacuated.
โ In March, a single-engine plane crash near a Pennsylvania airport resulted in burn injuries for three individuals, though all survived.
โ A Delta Air Lines aircraft endured a turbulent landing in February at Torontoโs Pearson Airport, causing minor injuries to some of the 80 onboard.
Close encounters:
โ A close call occurred at Reagan National Airport near Washington when two planes aborted their landings due to an Army helicopter.
โ On the same day as the fatal helicopter crash in New York, a wing tip incident involved two American Airlines planes at a Virginia airport.
โ In March, a FedEx plane made an emergency landing in New Jersey after a bird strike caused a visible engine fire.
โ In February, a Southwest Airlines flight narrowly avoided a collision at Chicagoโs Midway Airport due to a business jet crossing its runway.
โ An incident in Seattle saw a Japan Airlines plane clip the tail of a Delta aircraft while taxiing in February.
โ Panic ensued at Bostonโs Logan International Airport in January when a JetBlue passenger opened an emergency exit while taxiing.
In a recent update, a story addressed the incorrect report of a Florida plane crash, which occurred on April 11, not May 16, as earlier stated.