This year’s 16 fatal accidents fall below average rate of 20 per month, yet recent crashes were US’s deadliest in a decade

People across the US are worried about flight safety after several high-profile plane crashes this year, including a commercial crash in Washington DC that killed 67 people. Google searches for “is flying safe” have jumped in recent weeks. But the numbers suggest 2025 has actually been a relatively safe year to fly – at least in terms of the overall number of accidents.

January and February typically have about 20 fatal aviation accidents per month, according to numbers from the National Transportation Safety Board. By contrast, this January, there were only 10 fatal aviation accidents, and in February there were six. The data covers all US civil aviation, from large commercial planes to private jets.