The deadliest aviation disaster in the USA: history and statistics 2025
16 june 2025 в 03:13
The largest aviation disaster in the United States was the crash of American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed shortly after takeoff from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on May 25, 1979. All 271 people on board and 2 people on the ground died, bringing the total number of casualties to 273. The DC-10 aircraft lost an engine during takeoff, leading to catastrophic hydraulic and mechanical failures. This tragedy remains the deadliest aviation disaster in U.S. history and led to a temporary suspension of DC-10 fleet operations nationwide.
Another devastating incident occurred many years later with American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed in a quiet residential area in Queens, New York, just minutes after taking off from JFK Airport on November 12, 2001. All 260 passengers and crew members died, as well as five people on the ground, bringing the total number of casualties to 265.
Commercial aviation disasters in the U.S. are extremely rare today. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), fatal accidents involving major U.S. airlines occur less than once a year on average. Most aviation incidents today involve small private planes or charter airliners, rather than large commercial jets. In fact, the last major aviation disaster with a significant number of casualties in the U.S. was the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in 2009, which resulted in the deaths of 50 people near Buffalo, New York. Although 2025 brought some increase in headlines, the vast majority of flights remain safe, thanks to stricter standards and advancements in aircraft technology.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, as of 2025, there have been 470 aviation incidents. Of these, 93 were classified as fatal, and 377 were non-fatal
Another devastating incident occurred many years later with American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed in a quiet residential area in Queens, New York, just minutes after taking off from JFK Airport on November 12, 2001. All 260 passengers and crew members died, as well as five people on the ground, bringing the total number of casualties to 265.
Commercial aviation disasters in the U.S. are extremely rare today. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), fatal accidents involving major U.S. airlines occur less than once a year on average. Most aviation incidents today involve small private planes or charter airliners, rather than large commercial jets. In fact, the last major aviation disaster with a significant number of casualties in the U.S. was the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in 2009, which resulted in the deaths of 50 people near Buffalo, New York. Although 2025 brought some increase in headlines, the vast majority of flights remain safe, thanks to stricter standards and advancements in aircraft technology.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, as of 2025, there have been 470 aviation incidents. Of these, 93 were classified as fatal, and 377 were non-fatal
© Artemenko Olga
