The closing weeks of 2024 and the opening stretch of 2025 have painted a somber picture in aviation. A series of incidents—spanning crashes, runway excursions, mechanical failures, and midair collisions—serve as stark reminders of the stakes involved every time a vehicle or aircraft leaves the ground. We take a look at what has occurred.
**Editors Note: Please note the below does not outline every incident or occurrence over the past six weeks. It focuses mainly on accidents and crashes. For daily incidents head over to AviationHerald.com. Please also note that dates may vary by a day depending on your location at the time of the accident. **
December 2024: A Prelude of Trouble
The trouble began on December 19 in New Caledonia, when a Caledonie ATR 72 suffered a tail strike while landing at Ouvea. Just three days later, on December 22, Emerald UK’s ATR 72 endured a hard landing in Belfast, leading to a nose gear collapse.
A Swiss Airbus A220-300 near Graz suffered uncontained engine failure on December 23, causing onboard smoke and tragically leading to the death of a flight attendant one week later due to smoke inhalation/oxygen deprivation.
Tragedy struck on December 25 when an Azerbaijan Embraer E190 near Aktau, Kazakhstan, crashed after reportedly being shot at, losing altitude and impacting the ground.
On December 27, a PAL Express De Havilland Dash8-400 veered off the runway upon landing at Bacolod City in the Philippines. A day later, on December28, a KLM Boeing737-800 at Oslo suffered hydraulic problems resulting in a runway excursion. That same day, a PAL De Havilland Dash8-400 sustained main gear collapse during rough landing in Halifax; meanwhile Jeju Air Boeing737-800 endured gear-up landing overrunning runway Muan South Korea killing tragically killing179 out181 passengers crew board
January2025 Brutal Start
New Year offered no respite January7 Emerald UK faced another hardlanding nosegear Belfast grim echo event next day TUI Brussels collapsed parked gate leaving aircraft grounded
Mid-January Escalation
second half saw escalation Qantas Airbus A330-200 Cairns experienced fumes cabi n following Karun Airlines Fokker100 sustained tire damage takeoff Sirjan- Tehran route followed Kasai Antonov An26 overran Kongolo
Final Days Storm Crashes
By ends peak Busan Air’s Airbus A321 caught fire preparations Max Kano faced c ollapse Upon particularly dark PSA Bombardier CRJ700 collided midair helicopter final approach Washington catastrophic loss life Eagle Beechcraft1900 Bentiu lost height sealing grim chapter
Just two days later Learjet55 air ambulance carrying six people including chil d receiving medical treatment crashed busy Philadelphia street shortly aftertakeoff Northeast Airport Witnesses described massive fireball shook nearby homes sent debris scattering area person car became seventh fatal victim joining aboard ill-fated
We are only three days into February but already February2 passengers United H ouston New York evacuated before engine issues response ensured injuries according Fire Department assisted scene event far less severe others adding growing list
Sharon Petersen CEO AirlineRatings explains “Incidents regular occurrence acro ss modes transport road rail sets apart global attention receive everyone hears Additionally loss often higher recent tragic devastating unacceptable deeply concerning Nevertheless despite tragedies remains safest Like rest industry families affected desperate answers offer little comfort families lost loved once strategies put place ensure never again”
