Since the start of the Trump administration, there have been no less than 11 aviation crashes, killing a total of 90 people. The American Airlines crash at Reagan National Airport marked the first fatal commercial crash since 2009.
At the same time, the Trump administration has been undermining the staffing and capacity of federal agencies responsible for aviation safety, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The attacks are not limited to air traffic controllers—where there continues to be a significant staffing shortage—but also include cuts to workers assisting with safety inspections, maintenance, and updating flight maps. The loss of these federal employees will have long running implications, making it “more difficult […] to do the actual safety oversight” according to David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Specialists Association union.
This tracker will be continuously updated to reflect any further cuts to these federal agencies, as well as any aviation-related disasters.
Aviation Disasters During The Trump Administration:
Commercial Airlines
- January 29, 2025: A military helicopter collided with an American Eagle commercial flight at the Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, killing 67 people. (Source: NBC News)
- February 7, 2025: A Bering Air flight crashed near Nome, Alaska, killing 10 people. (Source: USA Today)
- February 17, 2025: A Delta Air Lines commercial flight from Minneapolis crashed and flipped over during its landing at Toronto Pearson Airport. There were no deaths, but at least 21 people were injured. (Source: New York Times)
Small Planes and Military Vehicles
- February 2, 2025: A medical jet crashed in Philadelphia, killing 7 people. (Source: 6ABC Philadelphia)
- February 10, 2025: A private plane veered off the runway after landing and collided with a parked jet in Scottsdale, Arizona, killing one person. (Source: The Arizona Republic)
- February 10, 2025: A single engine plane crashed near the Doylestown Airport in Pennsylvania after a mechanical problem. The pilot was the only person on board and there were no injuries. (Soure: 6ABC Philadelphia)
- February 11, 2025: A single engine plane crashed in Hampton, New Hampshire. The pilot was the only person onboard and was not injured. (Source: NBC Boston)
- February 12, 2025: A US Navy jet crashed into the San Diego Harbor. The two pilots ejected and were not seriously injured. (Source: Los Angeles Times)
- February 14, 2025: A small plane crashed in Flagler County, Florida after leaving from the Sebastian Municipal Airport. The pilot was the sole passenger and died in the crash. (Source: Action News Jax)
- February 15, 2025: A single engine plane crashed shortly after take off from the Covington Municipal Airport in Georgia, killing both passengers. (Source: Fox 5 Atlanta)
- February 19, 2025: Two single engine planes collided at the Marana Regional Airport near Tuscon, Arizona, killing both pilots. (Source: CNN)
Trump Administration Actions Regarding Air Safety Agencies:
- January 20, 2025: FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker resigned under pressure from Elon Musk, leaving the administration without a leader until January 30, 2025. (Source: The Daily Beast)
- January 20, 2025: Trump issued an executive order instituting a hiring freeze for the federal government. The Air Traffic Controllers Union and lawmakers were reportedly not sure whether the freeze applied to air traffic controllers. (Source: Yahoo News)
- January 28, 2025: All 400 staffers of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) received the “Fork in the Road” email offering deferred resignation buyouts. The offers to NTSB staff were later rescinded and the agency was deemed exempt from the program. (Source: CNN)
- January 28, 2025: FAA employees, including air traffic controllers received the email offering deferred resignation. The Office of Personnel Management later said air traffic controllers were not eligible for the program. (Source: Associated Press)
- January 29, 2025 Following the Reagan National Airport crash, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that controllers were exempt from the freeze.
- January 30, 2025: Trump named Chris Rocheleau acting administrator following the Reagan National Airport crash. (Source: Axios)
- February 1, 2025: The NTSB announced the agency would cease updating reporters via email regarding the Washington, DC and Philadelphia crashes. The NTSB stated it would provide updates via Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, instead. (Source: The Desk)
- February 14, 2025: Several hundred probationary FAA employees were fired, including workers who maintain air traffic control infrastructure. (Source: CNN)
- February 16, 2025: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that people from Elon Musk’s SpaceX would visit Virginia’s air traffic control command center and advise on how to make a “modern and safer” system. (Source: X, formerly Twitter, @SecDuffy)
Key Trump Administration Officials in Aviation Safety
- Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency
- Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation
- Chris Rocheleau, acting FAA administrator
- Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
- Gary Ashworth, acting Secretary of the Air Force
Image Credit: “DCA Control Tower & Terminal C DCA 07 2010 9841” by Mariordo Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.