What are the deadliest plane crashes in US history? What to know after DC crash
No survivors have been found following an in-air collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., officials said early Jan. 30.
The crash, which the Associated Press reported involved 60 passengers and four crew members on the plane and three U.S. soldiers on the helicopter, is the first collision involving a commercial airliner in the United States since 2009.
As first responders continue to look for survivors Thursday morning, how does the crash compare to other deadly plane collisions in the United States?
Deadliest plane crashes in US history
▪ On May 12, 1979, an American Airlines DC-10 departing Chicago O’Hare International Airport crashed during its takeoff, according to Simple Flying. The crash, which the website said was caused by “unintended structural damage,” resulted in 273 deaths.
American Airlines Flight 191 remains the deadliest plane crash in American history.
▪ The second-worst accident in the United States came on Nov. 12, 2001, when 265 people were killed during a crash involving American Airlines flight 587, according to the Aviation Safety Network.
The plane, which took off from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, crashed in a Queens neighborhood due to structural failure, PBS reported.
▪ Trans World Airways Flight 800 exploded on July 17, 1996, after taking off from John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people aboard, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the cause of the accident was an explosion of the center wing fuel tank, resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air vapors in the tank,” the federal agency said.
▪ All but one passenger died when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed on Aug. 16, 1987, after its takeoff from Detroit Metro Airport, CBS News reported. There were 154 deaths — 148 passengers and 6 crew members.
The plane rolled to the left, then rolled to the right before colliding with obstacles near the runway, including light poles and a rental car facility, according to the FAA.
▪ Pan Am Flight 759 crashed after takeoff from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on July 9, 1982, killing 153 people, Axios reported.
According to NOLA.com, a weather phenomenon called wind shear was the cause of the accident.
When was the last fatal crash in the US?
Before Wednesday’s crash in Arlington, Virginia, it had been nearly 16 years since a commercial aircraft crash in the United States.
Colgan Air Flight 3407 was approaching the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport when it crashed into a home in Clarence Center, New York, on Feb. 12, 2009, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
The FAA said 50 people died in the crash, including 44 passengers. Causes of the collision included “icy conditions, pilot training and fatigue,” according to Simple Flying.
The crash was said to mark “a turning point in aviation safety,” according to Air Line Pilots Association.
“The new standards raised the bar for U.S. aviation, improving pilot qualification, experience, and training requirements; mandating safety management systems with enhanced voluntary safety reporting programs; requiring pilot training for high-altitude operations, flight in adverse weather, and stall prevention and recovery; and implementing science-based flight, duty, and rest requirements,” ALPA said.
This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 7:24 AM with the headline "What are the deadliest plane crashes in US history? What to know after DC crash."