The latest Google Trends data shows a spike in Americans asking if it's safe to fly, and sure, it's understandable: videos of the horrific recent accidents in Washington, D.C. and Toronto, Canada are objectively terrifying.
From Axios:
Recent high-profile airline accidents have caused a spike in Americans questioning just how safe it is to fly, according to Google Trends data.
Why it matters: Flying remains the safest and most efficient way to travel long distances in the U.S., but the Google data reflects how events in the news can impact the way people feel when they're boarding an aircraft, or considering whether to book a flight.
Here's their chart with data pulled from Google Trends:
Two incidents seem to be driving the search trend: The Army helicopter that crashed into an American Airlines jet in DC (killing everyone onboard both aircraft), and the Delta flight that flipped over after a hard landing in Toronto (where everyone survived).
The only time more Americans were searching that question was during the pandemic, when there was confusion about how likely the virus was to spread on a plane, according to Google Trends data dating back to 2004.
Searches for 'how many plane crashes in 2025' are also on the rise. Another trending search is 'why are planes crashing?'
There is also a political angle here (unfortunately), with politicians rushing to use these tragic incidents as evidence that Donald Trump and Elon Musk are the worst, even though so many problems existed prior to January 20, and there is no evidence (as of yet) that any of Trump's policies had anything to do with the deadly crash in Washington, D.C. or the crash landing in Canada.
(Last I checked, Canada isn't a part of the United States ... yet.)
Current Sec. of Transportation Sean Duffy had thoughts for Mayor Pete:
According to the National Safety Council, you're more likely to die of sunstroke, wasp stings, or from lightning than in a plane crash. But you'll notice that the media isn't frantically providing around-the-clock reports on people being stung to death by the Nazis of the insect world.
Here's my best advice: Try to calm down, and remember that fear drives clicks, pushing facts and logic to the back.
Follow Ian on Substack or X (@ighaworth).
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
