A commercial plane and a military helicopter collided on Wednesday night in proximity to Ronald Reagan airport, the closest to Washington DC in the passenger aircraft, from Wichita, in Kansas, 64 people were traveling. The helicopter, which was developing a training mission, had three people on board.
The collision occurred at 20.48 local time, 2.48 in Spain. The commercial flight was already in a phase of descent on the landing floor, where it would have taken land around 21.00 premises. According to its latest position data, it was at a height of 300 feet (91 meters) at the time of the crash. The helicopter position data is more limited (as it is not a commercial aircraft) and the last ones on their position place about 400 feet (122 meters).
Although the number of fatalities is still unknown, local authorities have advanced that, given the explosion that has followed the crash and weather conditions in the area: with temperatures below zero around the Potomac River and strong winds that complicate the work of rescue. The following map shows the route of three of the helicopters who are taking part in the operation on the place where the aircraft fell.
Collisions, 13% of accidents
Shocks between airplanes are not frequent. In 2024 25 collisions between aircraft in flight were recorded worldwide and taking into account media of all kinds (private, commercial, military, tourism …). That is about 13% of the 193 accidents recorded by the Aviation Safety Network database, an account that also includes small track clashes that ended without victims. They are a tiny part of the more than 37 million flights that are recorded annually.
Even so, in the United States, two years ago there is publicly talked about how growing air traffic and lack of personnel has increased the risk of collisions between airplanes. An investigation concluded that in 2022 300 notices were registered due to the risk of clash between aircraft that involved commercial airlines. They were almost always close to airports and due to human errors. The number of these almost-accidents has multiplied in the last decade, although it is not clear if safety conditions have worsened or the sensitivity has increased to inform of this type of hazard.
One deceased for every 20 million passengers
According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in 2023 there was a plane crash for every 1.26 million flights.
During the last 55 years the death rate on commercial flights has remained in almost constant decline, with exceptions such as 1985, when almost 2,500 passengers died (1,500 of them in six flights). In 2021, the last available data, 0.05 deaths were produced per million passengers, (that is, one deceased for every 20 million passengers).
Taking into account the passenger figures, the accident last night would be far from the hundred worst recorded in history Aviation: all exceed hundred victims. The one that occurred in 1977 at the Los Rodeos Airport (Tenerife) stands out, where the clash of two planes resulted in 584 dead.
