In recent weeks, there have been several tragic flight incidents in North America, with a mid-air collision in Washington DC standing out as particularly shocking.
Concerns have been voiced regarding what seems to be an uptick in plane crashes. However, an expert has indicated that these incidents do not necessarily reflect issues with flight safety.
Jason Matzus, an aviation expert and attorney at Matzus Law, maintains that air travel remains the safest mode of transportation.
In a conversation with The US Sun, he stated: “Naturally, recent plane crashes such as the Delta plane flipping on landing in Toronto and the midair collision at Reagan National in DC, have raised public awareness and concerns about the safety of flying.
“While these events are tragic, the likely explanation is simply ‘random clustering’ – which occurs when multiple crashes occur over a short period, warping our general perception and causing us to think that there is an increasing trend in plane crashes, when in reality these crashes, despite being so close together, are merely coincidental and not caused by a systemic safety issue.
“Our perception of an increasing trend is often amplified by media coverage.”
He further noted: “The reality remains that air travel is statistically the safest form of travel and the spate of recent crashes isn’t necessarily indicative of an actual increase in frequency of plane crashes.”
This comes as 80 passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight experienced a crash that resulted in the plane flipping upside down in Toronto on Monday (February 17). Fortunately, all were safely evacuated, though investigations into the incident are still ongoing.
In another incident in Arizona on February 10, a private plane owned by Vince Neil collided with another aircraft at Scottsdale Airport as it arrived from Austin, Texas. Vince Neil was not on the plane.
On February 6, a plane carrying 10 people went missing over Alaska, and its wreckage was later found with three fatalities confirmed by the US Coast Guard.
Earlier, on January 31, a medical jet crash in Philadelphia claimed the lives of all six onboard. Just two days prior, a mid-air collision occurred in Washington DC involving a military helicopter and a commercial plane on January 29.
This incident marked the deadliest aviation disaster in the US since 2001, with all 67 individuals involved in the Washington DC crash perishing.
The collision occurred as pilots Jonathan Campos and Samuel Lilley were piloting Flight 5342, a PSA Airlines aircraft owned by American Airlines. As they approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to land their 60 passengers and two crew members, the plane collided with a Black Hawk helicopter.