Military aircraft crashes skyrocketed from 2020 to 2024, new data shows
Possible causes include stagnating budgets and increased operations, experts said.
Thomas Novelly | November 19, 2025
Pentagon Congress
Pentagon data shows that deadly and costly military aircraft mishaps skyrocketed 55 percent over the past four years, alarming lawmakers, defense analysts, and aviation safety experts.
The number of Class A mishaps—the deadliest and costliest category—per 100,000 flight hours rose from 1.3 in fiscal 2020 to 2.02 in fiscal 2024, according to data provided to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Defense One reviewed the data, which Warren received in January after requesting it last year.
“This loss of life due to mishaps poses an unacceptable risk to service members, their families, and military readiness,” Warren said in a Wednesday news release.
Across 4,280 total mishaps between full budget years 2020 through 2023 and part of 2024, those incidents led to 90 deaths, just shy of 90 aircraft destroyed, and upwards of $9 billion in damages, the data showed.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2025/11/military-aircraft-crashes-skyrocketed-2020-2024-new-data-shows/409649/?oref=d1-skybox-hp
