A Look at Some of the Deadliest Plane Crashes in U.S. History

January 30, 2025 TruthUSA

A jet belonging to American Airlines, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with an Army helicopter on Wednesday while attempting to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, resulting in multiple fatalities.

Fatal incidents involving commercial aircraft in the U.S. have become increasingly rare. The most deadly crash in recent history occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York, where all 45 passengers and four crew members aboard a Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane were killed after it crashed into a house, along with one casualty on the ground.

The incident on Wednesday involved a Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine plane and a UH-60 Black Hawk, which collided over the Potomac River before descending into the water. This area has seen tragedy before; in 1982, an Air Florida flight crashed into the river, resulting in 78 deaths.

Emergency response teams are ready on the tarmac as search and rescue operations are ongoing in the Potomac River at Ronald Reagan Washington Airport in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 29, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) — Emergency response teams are ready on the tarmac as search and rescue operations are ongoing in the Potomac River at Ronald Reagan Washington Airport in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 29, 2025.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Here are some of the deadliest commercial airplane incidents in the U.S. since the Air Florida disaster, as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board:

Feb. 12, 2009: A Colgan Air plane near Buffalo, New York, crashed, claiming the lives of everyone aboard, totaling 50 fatalities.
Aug. 27, 2006: A Comair aircraft crashed during takeoff at Lexington, Kentucky, after departing from the incorrect runway, killing two crew members and 47 passengers.
Nov. 12, 2001: An American Airlines flight tragically crashed into a residential area in Belle Harbor, New York, resulting in the loss of all 260 onboard.
Sept. 11, 2001: The deadliest terror attack in history claimed nearly 3,000 lives as 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized control of four jetliners, targeting the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Jan. 31, 2000: An Alaska Airlines flight crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Anacapa Island, California, killing 83 passengers and five crew members.
July 17, 1996: A Trans World Airlines flight heading to Paris crashed over the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, resulting in 230 fatalities.
May 11, 1996: A Valujet Airlines flight crashed into the Everglades shortly after takeoff from Miami International Airport, killing all 105 passengers and five crew members.
Oct. 31, 1994: An American Eagle flight crashed in Roselawn, Indiana, resulting in 64 passengers and four crew member deaths.
Sept. 8, 1994: A USAir flight crashed while trying to land in Pittsburgh, killing 127 passengers and five crew members, leading to the destruction of the aircraft.
July 19, 1989: A United Airlines flight crashed during landing attempts in Sioux City, Iowa, resulting in the deaths of 110 passengers and one crew member.
Aug. 16, 1987: A Northwest Airlines flight crashed shortly after taking off in Romulus, Michigan, killing 148 passengers and six crew members.
Aug. 2, 1985: A Delta Air Lines flight crashed on approach to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport amid a thunderstorm, resulting in 134 fatalities.
July 9, 1982: A Pan American World Airways flight crashed shortly after takeoff near New Orleans, colliding with buildings and trees, killing 145 individuals onboard.
Jan. 13, 1982: An Air Florida flight fell into the Potomac, claiming the lives of 74 passengers and four crew members, due to adverse weather conditions.