US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the high number of plane crashes being reported.
On Sunday (March 9), a single-engine airplane carrying five people crashed near a small airport in Pennsylvania. Everyone on board survived, however, two remain in critical condition, a spokesperson from Lehigh Valley Health Network told ABC News.
And the incident follows news of several plane crashes over the past few months.
On January 29, a Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines plane collided in Washington DC - there were no survivors.
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On January 31, a Jet Rescue Air Ambulance left Northeast Philadelphia Airport but crashed moments later with all those on board - a total of six - confirmed dead.
And on February 17, a Delta Airlines flight crashed and ended up flipping upside down while trying to land at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada, after taking off from Minneapolis, Minnesota - thankfully, all 80 onboard were safely evacuated officials reported.
Trump was asked about the plane crash in Pennsylvania while aboard Air Force One, the WAAY 31 News reporter noting Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's 'big concern is his department is being gutted' as hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees being laid off in February, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) said. Union head David Spero added the firings were 'shameful' and 'stretching' an 'already stretched' workforce 'thin,' BBC reports.
The reporter asked Trump: "[Duffy's] been dealing with these crashes ever since he was sworn in. Does he have a legitimate concern?"
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And Trump's response began: "Well, that has nothing to do with the Department."
The 47th President of the US continued by arguing it was a 'small plane' involved in the crash and 'that would have happened whether you had a big department or a small department'.
"They have space like this, you know, there are times where things happen a little bit more often than normal and then it goes back and you go, many years without having a problem," he continued.
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Trump then reflected on the near-incident between a Southwest Airlines jet and a private plane, which took place on the runway at Chicago Midway Airport, praising the SouthWest Airlines pilot for doing a 'fantastic job' in preventing a collision. He stated he thinks the pilot of the private plane should potentially get their license 'revoked'.
Trump may've had his two-pence about the plane crashes, which have been occurring recently, but thankfully an expert has actually addressed the issue.
Aviation expert Jason Matzus, an attorney at Matzus Law told the US Sun: "Naturally, recent plane crashes such as the Delta plane flipping on landing in Toronto and the midair collision at Reagan National in DC, have raised public awareness and concerns about the safety of flying.
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"While these events are tragic, the likely explanation is simply 'random clustering' - which occurs when multiple crashes occur over a short period, warping our general perception and causing us to think that there is an increasing trend in plane crashes, when in reality these crashes, despite being so close together, are merely coincidental and not caused by a systemic safety issue.
"Our perception of an increasing trend is often amplified by media coverage."
Matzus resolved 'air travel is statistically the safest form of travel', and 'the spate of recent crashes isn’t necessary indicative of an actual increase in frequency of plane crashes'.
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, World News, Travel
Poppy Bilderbeck