By: Theresa Schuetz

The sudden surge of plane crashes has shocked the nation, raising questions about flight safety. 

The accidents continue one after another. The first fatal plane crash occurred Jan. 29; an American Airlines flight was traveling from Wichita, Kansas to Washington, D.C. when it collided with a Military Aircraft during its training flight. 

This collision led to all passengers on the American Airlines flight, and the BlackHawk flight, passing. The plane plummeted into the Potomac River in D.C. 

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Hyper Archer II

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

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These crashes have led to a decline in profit for airlines. According to Yahoo Finance, American Airlines stock price was $17.47 before the crash. It now remains at $14.86. This drop in stock sales occurred the day after the crash and it hasn’t recovered fully since. The sudden selling of stock surely hurt the business’ profits.  

“I haven’t been on a plane in a few years, but with my upcoming trip to Slovakia I am scared of the flight,” junior Olivia Humberger said. “I think it’s scary to see how often planes have been crashing.” 

Even with the reassurance on safety measures from airlines, another major plane crash occurred in Philadelphia, PA on Jan. 31.  This flight was a medical jet carrying a sick 12-year-old from Mexico, her mother and four crew members. All people aboard the flight died, as well as one other in the impact zone, totaling seven killed and 22 injured. 

The crashes are not only affecting and injuring people and families on the planes, but pedestrians as well. Regardless, some travelers are persistent in their travels and don’t let human error change their opinions on flights.  

“I enjoy flying a lot, it’s a time to relax and rest,” senior Leia Felmley said. 

A small commuter plane in Alaska also crashed recently, killing everyone on board. Officials believe the Bering Air crash was caused by severe ice and low visibility while they were flying, however, this has not been confirmed. 

The cause of this sudden surge of plane crashes hasn’t been determined, though some believe it to be caused by human error. However, according to Science teacher Mrs. Julie Firmstone, having better media coverage makes the recent plane crashes a lot more seen than they used to be.  

Even with the plane crashes raising fears among annual travelers, some don’t let what’s going on change their opinions on traveling and what method they prefer using. 

“Statistics on the news say that a plane crash is a one in one million chance,” Mrs. Firmstone said. “But a car crash is a lot more likely.”