HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Headlines are flooded with air transportation tragedies since a military helicopter crashed into an American Airlines flight in January.
Another crash today added to that list; a tour helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing all six passengers, including three children.
Brett Harlow, a retired Army Pilot and former tour helicopter controller, said it is an extremely unusual situation.
“It’s not a very common event and especially for something like that where you just see it falling out of the sky and pieces all over,” Harlow said. “It makes you think that, you know, it’s like it could be anybody at any time.”
People have addressed the fear of flying after the crashes were reported throughout 2025. While it may seem like more aircraft are having trouble, Harlow said this amount of crashes is normal, but the situations surrounding a few of them are not.
The National Transportation Safety Board data confirms that.
NTSB reported 286 crashes from the start of January to the end of March in 2024. The organization declared 50 of those crashes as deadly. Data for the first three months of this year reported 153 crashes, including 23 deadly accidents.
NTSB data proves aviation crash rates are actually down for 2025 compared to the year prior.
Harlow agrees, saying flying is safer than driving.
“Anybody can, you know, basically drive a car,” Harlow said. “When you get in an airplane or you getting a helicopter with somebody, that pilot is trained to manage and to fulfill the duties that they’re supposed to do.”
Harlow said he believes crashes are sparking more conversations this year due to being very rare. The American Airlines crash was the first deadly U.S. airline crash in over a decade. He added that a tour helicopter is also shocking.
Harlow said in the two and a half years he served as the Director of Operations for a national helicopter tour company, he never saw anything like this.
“There’s not a lot of room for error,” Harlow said. “If you don’t make the right decision, it’ll bite ya.”
Trusting your pilots and the extensive training they undergo is pivotal, according to Harlow. He said passengers should rest assured in that, and the quality of care that goes into every aspect of an aircraft.
“I know how many hours of training goes into a pilot being on there,” Harlow said. “I know how many hours of training goes into the mechanic to maintain that aircraft. I know the level of engineering that goes into that aircraft.”
It’s important to note that while the number of crashes is lower in 2025 than in 2024, the death toll is higher due to more people being aboard the aircraft involved.
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