Our sudden plane crash epidemic is no accident

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, more than 170 aviation accidents occurred in the U.S., with 22 resulting in fatalities and 109 deaths. As a pilot and executive in the aviation industry with 27 years of experience, I am often asked: Why are there so many accidents and incidents in aviation today? To answer this, we must look deeper into the hidden risks that are silently accumulating — risks that are directly tied to growing traffic, an influx of new pilots, outdated infrastructure, and a lack of proactive risk management.

Although aviation remains the safest form of travel, the increase in air traffic and the aging infrastructure of the National Airspace System are combining to create an environment ripe for accidents. This is no coincidence. It’s the result of not proactively addressing the risks inherent in a system that was designed decades ago and is now under strain. Like road traffic, where more cars on the road lead to more accidents, the same principle applies to airspace. As traffic increases at already congested airports, so does the risk of mid-air collisions, near misses, and other dangerous incidents.

Let’s look at the facts: Traffic at major airports continues to rise, new pilots are entering the system at a fast pace, and the tools available to FAA controllers and air traffic management systems remain woefully outdated. When these elements are combined with unpredictable weather, the consequences can be disastrous. The increased risk is not being sufficiently addressed, and this failure to mitigate these growing factors directly correlates to the increase in aviation accidents.

Take, for example, the tragic mid-air collision over the Potomac River in January 2025, which killed 67. The crash occurred because of a failure to manage airspace risks in real time — a lack of proactive monitoring and risk assessment tools. The airspace in that region is congested with both commercial and military aircraft. This was not an isolated event. In the months leading up to the crash, there were multiple near-misses reported in the same airspace. If the FAA had the tools to assess these risks proactively, this tragedy could have been avoided.

Without modern tools to identify and mitigate risks proactively, we continue to rely on past data and reactive responses. This outdated approach to risk management is simply no longer enough. We are seeing the cost of this inaction: The Delta Connection flight 4819, which crashed upon landing in Toronto in February 2025, injured 17 people. The incident highlights how the aviation system is starting to crack under the pressure of rising traffic and inadequate airspace management tools.  When we fail to act — when we don’t address the risks — these types of incidents are the tragic result.

The solution is clear: we must adopt proactive risk management systems that can provide real-time risk analysis and ensure that pilots and controllers are supported by the latest tools and data. New platforms have been developed that link existing tools within the National Airspace System to provide a more comprehensive, real-time analysis of airspace — platforms that can assess critical risk points by combining flight data, weather conditions, and communication between pilots and controllers, helping to prevent accidents before they occur.

By integrating such tools, we can address the growing traffic challenges and support the increased number of new pilots entering the workforce. This is about more than just monitoring safety; it’s about proactively identifying risks and addressing them head-on before they lead to accidents.

As an aviation industry veteran, I see the potential for safer skies, but it requires a commitment to modernizing our airspace management systems. The hazards of flying will always exist, but the tools we use to manage those hazards must evolve to meet the demands of today’s aviation world.

If we continue to fail to address the growing risks in a proactive manner, we will see more tragedies. Now is the time to act, and innovative companies are now offering the necessary solutions to ensure that the next aviation incident is prevented before it happens.

Michael McCready is an executive in the aviation industry with over 27 years of experience as both a pilot and businessman.