SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — For the second time in two months, Americans watched a U.S. commercial airplane crash while attempting to land. A Delta Airlines plane slammed into the runway in Toronto on Monday. This came just a few weeks after an American Airlines flight collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington D.C., killing a total of 67 passengers. These incidents are disturbing to some San Diegans like Ellie Finley.
“I was planning to fly to Arkansas to visit my aunt, but we collectively decided to postpone the trip based on the uncertainty going on,” Finley said.
Finley says she made the decision to cancel her flight this weekend, after the Trump administration fired four hundred employees on the Federal Aviation Administration. Trump’s transportation secretary says that was a small portion of the FAA and none of them were critical safety personnel.
“There should be some consideration to the American people what’s going on in their minds, what this means for their safety, their security.”
Retired PSA and U.S. Airways Captain Joe Graham still believes flying is safer than ever.
“What would you say to fliers who are concerned about safety on planes?”
“I don’t think anyone should be worried,” Graham said. “As long as you’re on a us airline and pay attention to the safety demonstrations, I think youre in the safest place in the world.”
Before 2025, there hadn’t been a fatal crash involving a U.S. airliner in almost 16 years. Data from the National Transportation Security Board shows aviation accidents on general and commercial flights have actually decreased since 2022. The Board defines an accident as when a passenger experiences death or serious injury or when the aircraft gets substantially damaged.
“When you look at the accident rates 20 years ago these things were happening once or twice a month,” Graham said. “But they’ve firmed up the training, the equipment is better.”
Finley says she’s comfortable postponing until she gets a better idea of what led up to these crashes.