The situation warrants our compassion and support rather than unjustified speculation
BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Most of us are aware of the devastating air collision that occurred on Jan. 29, 2025 in Washington, D.C. All 67 passengers on the American Airlines jet and the United States Army Black Hawk helicopter were killed, marking the deadliest airline disaster in the U.S. since 2001. Only two days later, on Jan. 31, a plane crash in Philadelphia resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, leading to nationwide mourning and increased skepticism about the current safety of air travel.
There has been a lot of speculation about the causes of the recent plane crashes, resulting in widespread misinformation. The truth is that we don’t know everything that happened or why these events occurred in the first place — and it’s important to keep this in mind as the investigations continue. Sensationalizing information can have harmful consequences, and we have already begun to see these effects.
President Donald Trump insinuated that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs may be to blame for the D.C. crash. When further questioned about whether diversity hiring could have been the cause of the incident, Trump responded, “It just could have been,” and he accredited this viewpoint to him having “common sense” — in other words, his comments have no factual basis. Until more information comes to light, it is crucial to abstain from spreading opinions that aren’t rooted in evidence.
A tragedy like this warrants empathy and unity, and it does not and should not have to tie into political agendas. It is completely normal to want to know why and how something like this happened, but finger-pointing and rushing to conclusions is not the answer. The victims and their grieving families deserve respect in the face of these tragedies. The unknown is scary, yes, but it’s unfair to place unwarranted blame in order to alleviate one’s own fears.
Right now, individuals worldwide are apprehensive about getting on an aircraft. Aerophobia — the fear of flying — is already common, affecting around 25 million adults in the U.S. Considering the recent casualties, it is understandable that these fears are amplified, especially with news about the Federal Aviation Association allowing airline companies to self-certify that their planes meet safety standards. However, the chances of airline fatalities are still astronomically low, and flying is still the safest form of transportation.
Between 2018 and 2022, the odds of death by air travel accidents was found to be one in 13,000,000. While the statistics should be reassuring, it is, of course, still natural to feel a lack of control onboard an airplane and to ruminate over the “what ifs.” The best things you can do when flying are to try to remind yourself how many passengers fly safely every day (2,900,000 in the U.S.), distract yourself with calming activities and learn your aircraft’s safety features for peace of mind.
The airline crashes should be recognized for what they are — tragedies. Mass panic, conspiracy theories and conjectures are not helpful or justifiable based on the information that we know, which currently is not a lot. The investigation is best left to the experts, and we need to remember that while it’s understandable to be worried, you can still have trust in the safety of air travel.
Written by: The Editorial Board
