Since the start of the Trump administration, there have been no less than 20 aviation disasters, killing a total of 102 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 disasters. Last updated: March 14, 2025.
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)
- March 13, 2025: An American Airlines commercial flight made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport an hour after departing from Colorado Springs. The plane’s engine then caught fire on the tarmac, forcing passengers to evacuate. 12 people were taken to the hospital for minor injuries. (Source: ABC News)
Small Planes, Helicopters, 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)
- February 20, 2025: A helicopter crashed in Booneville County, Idaho. The pilot was killed while the other passenger survived. (Source: USA Today)
- February 26, 2025: A single-engine plane crashed on a mountain in Vermont. All three people on board survived and were airlifted to the hospital with minor injuries. (Source: CBS News)
- February 28, 2025: A helicopter crashed near Uvalde, Texas, killing both the pilot and a passenger. (Source: Fox 7 Austin)
- March 1, 2025: A small plane crashed in Elbert County, Colorado, killing the pilot. (Source: KRDO 13 ABC)
- March 5, 2025: A small plane crashed near Whiskey Dick Mountain in Kittitas County, Washington, killing the pilot. (Source: Source One News)
- March 10, 2025: A medical helicopter crashed in Mississippi after a “flight control problem,” killing all three people on board. (Source: Associated Press)
- March 13, 2025: A Cessna Citation Jet crashed in Mesquite, Texas shortly after takeoff from Mesquite Metro Airport, killing the pilot. (Source: Dallas Morning News)
- March 14, 2025: A private plane crashed shortly after taking off from Pitt-Greenville Airport in North Carolina, killing at least two people. (Source: WRAL News)
- March 14, 2025: A helicopter crashed into the Mogadore Reservoir in Ohio after colliding with a high-tension wire, killing the pilot. (Source: 5 ABC Cleveland)
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 National Air Traffic Controllers Association 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 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 2, 2025: Following the Reagan National Airport crash, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that controllers were exempt from the hiring freeze. (Source: Yahoo News)
- February 14, 2025: Several hundred probationary FAA employees were fired. Among the terminated employees were workers who maintain air traffic control infrastructure and lawyers at the Aviation Litigation Division. The lawyers ensure that flight schools are adequately training pilots and can suspend licenses of pilots who have DUIs or engage in other reckless behavior. (Sources: CNN, Rolling Stone)
- 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)
- February 25, 2025: The FAA installed Starlink equipment, a company owned by Elon Musk, and began testing use of Starlink terminals in FAA telecommunications at facilities in Atlantic City and Alaska. (Source: The Associated Press)
- February 27, 2025: Elon Musk tweeted requested that retired controllers consider returning to work. Federal law requires air traffic controllers to retire at age 56, or 61 at the latest with an exemption from the Transportation Secretary, and pass annual vision and hearing tests. The air traffic controllers’ union said only dozens of controllers will reach retirement age over the next year, while the shortage is in the thousands. (Sources: Axios)
- February 27, 2025: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a plan to “supercharge” hiring of air traffic controllers. The plan claims to increase starting salaries and “raise the bar on safety,” but will also “streamline” hiring by changing the FAA hiring process from an 8-step process to a 5-step process. The reduction in hiring phases will reduce the process by four months. (Source: Department of Transportation)
- March 6, 2025: According to reporting from the New York Times, Elon Musk and Secretary Duffy clashed in a cabinet meeting over cuts to the FAA. Secretary Duffy accused Musk and DOGE of attempting to fire air traffic controllers. Trump reportedly told Duffy to hire “geniuses” from M.I.T as air traffic controllers. (Source: New York Times)
- March 6, 2025: The FAA was forced to halt air traffic in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando following the explosion of a SpaceX rocket. SpaceX, which is owned by Elon Musk, was previously ordered by the FAA to launch a mishap investigation following a similar incident in January that resulted in debris raining on populated areas of Turks and Caicos. The investigation, which is still underway, aimed to “determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again.” The FAA allowed SpaceX to go ahead with its March launch despite the ongoing investigation. (Source: CNN)
- March 7, 2025: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the termination of the collective bargaining agreement with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) transportation security officers. The agreement covered roughly 42,000 workers and included a pay raise. (Source: Federal News Network)
- March 11, 2025: Secretary Duffy announced the FAA is conducting an ongoing review of the use of “AI and advanced analytical tools” at airports to improve safety. (Source: Department of Transportation)
- March 12, 2025: The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) issued a warning to its members, which includes 2,000 FAA employees, that the water at the FAA headquarters was not safe for drinking due to lead contamination. (Source: Federal News Network)
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
- Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security
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.