Searching for Solutions to Alaska’s High Rate of Deadly Air Crashes

Alaska makes up a growing share of the United States’ fatalities from crashes involving commuter, air taxi and charter flights. As deaths in crashes involving these operators have plummeted nationwide, Alaska’s share of fatalities in such crashes has increased from 26% in the early 2000s to 42% since 2016, according to Anchorage Daily News.

Experts argue that the Federal Aviation Administration hadn’t done enough to improve aviation safety in the state. The FAA oversees air travel in the country and carries much of the responsibility for making Alaskan air travel safer.

They offered a range of solutions: bolstering weather information for aviators, expanding the use of collision avoidance technology, and providing more opportunities for pilots to use technology for flying through poor weather.

Alaska is the USA’s most sparsely populated state. More than 80% of communities cannot be accessed by the road system. Planes are essential to everyday life.