Chief Accident Investigator Explains the Surge in Plane Crashes
Air travel has historically been considered as one of the safest modes of transportation. However, recent consecutive accidents have seriously shaken this perception. According to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), there have been 119 plane crashes as of 2025, 16 of which resulted in fatalities.What makes these accidents more concerning is the fact that these are just the incidents from the past few months. Many are left wondering if the increase in accidents a mere coincidence, or if is there a larger systemic issue at play.
The number of accidents in the last two months alone is enough to worry passengers. One side to these accidents is the fact that the aviation experts have been anticipating this.
Shawn Pruchnicki, a former Delta airline pilot, accident investigator and aviation safety expert, says these incidents are actually an expected outcome. The former pilot shared his concern over the rising crisis in air traffic control.
There are fewer and fewer air traffic controllers in the US and around the world, and those that are available are working under increasing pressure.
Even a small mistake by an air traffic controller can cost the lives of hundreds of people. But the system has become highly vulnerable due to overloaded workloads and understaffing.
One of Pruchnicki's biggest fears is the increasing frequency of planes coming dangerously close to each other in the air or on the runway.
The retired pilot stated, “It used to be If two airplanes come within a few miles of each other in the air, it would be a serious cause for concern. But now planes are flying past each other within a few hundred meters. This is almost a recipe for disaster.”
In the past, pilots required extensive training and experience before being promoted to captain.
However, in recent years, airlines have been accelerating the process, promoting less experienced pilots to captain roles more quickly. As a result, during emergencies, these pilots may struggle to make swift and precise decisions.
In addition to airline companies rapidly making inexperienced pilots captains, aircraft maintenance processes are also increasingly relaxed.
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) has temporarily grounded seven aircraft after an audit from February 26-28, 2025, found discrepancies in maintenance documentation that violated EU aviation safety regulations (EU Regulation 1321/2012).
Experts claim that if these concerning issues are not addressed soon, this incline in plane crashes are bound to continue in the coming months.
The retired pilot lastly warned in his article by stating 'Make no mistake there is still a pretty good safety buffer in place in our skies but it’s shrinking, and we need to act now if we want to stop it from shrinking further.'
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