The last fatal crash involving a U.S. airline was in 2009, when a small regional jet operated by Colgan Air on behalf of now-defunct Continental Airlines went down in icy conditions, killing all 49 people on board and one on the ground.

As of early 2026, the most recent "major" aviation disaster in the United States occurred on January 29, 2025, involving a midair collision over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. This tragic event involved a PSA Airlines CRJ700 (operating as American Eagle flight 5342) and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The collision resulted in the loss of all 64 people on the airliner and 3 crew members on the helicopter, totaling 67 fatalities. This was the deadliest aviation accident in the U.S. since the 2001 crash of American Airlines Flight 587. Prior to this 2025 event, the U.S. commercial aviation industry had maintained an unprecedented safety record of over 15 years without a major fatal crash involving a passenger airliner. In January 2026, the NTSB released its final report citing systemic failures in airspace design and air traffic control procedures, leading to immediate FAA mandates for new collision avoidance technology in the highly congested skies over the nation's capital.