The United States saw double the number of fatal plane crashes under President Joe Biden's first four weeks in office compared to the same time period under President Donald Trump's second administration. (Getty Images)
The five fatal plane crashes in the first month of the Trump administration occurred in Nome, Alaska; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Covington, Georgia. A total of 96 people died in the plane crashes.
When comparing the two Trump administrations, Fox News Digital found there were 11 recorded fatal plane crashes between Jan. 20, 2017, to Feb. 18, 2017.
Fox News Digital also found that the Biden administration saw seven serious — not fatal — plane crashes between Jan. 20, 2021, and Feb. 18, 2021, compared to six serious plane crashes under the same time period for the Trump administration, according to the CAROL database.
As for crashes that resulted in "minor" injuries for passengers, the CAROL database recorded seven under the Biden administration's first month and two under the second Trump administration's first month, Fox Digital found.
President Donald Trump listens as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks at the White House on Jan. 30, 2025. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press)
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation told Fox News Digital Monday that the agency continues to hire air traffic controllers and those focused on air safety.
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"The FAA continues to hire and onboard air traffic controllers and safety professionals, including mechanics and others who support them," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The agency has retained employees who perform safety critical functions."
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy added on X that his predecessor, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, had "failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system."
A police boat patrols the water and guards the crash scene on Jan. 30, 2025, after an American Airlines plane collided midair with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
"Here’s the truth: the FAA alone has a staggering 45,000 employees," he said. "Less than 400 were let go, and they were all probationary, meaning they had been hired less than a year ago. Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go."
The crash, however, has opened the floodgates of criticism from Democrats and liberal media outlets who have laid blame for the crash at Trump's feet.
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"I’m thankful that everyone in the flight incident in Toronto that took off from Minneapolis is safe, but we keep seeing these incidents day after day," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posted to X after the Monday crash. "Meanwhile, Trump’s doing massive layoffs at the FAA—including safety specialists—and making our skies less and less safe. Democrats are fighting to protect the flying public."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/more-airplanes-crashing-now-trumps-presidency-than-under-biden