Duffy Calls Alaska Aircraft Accident Rate ‘Unacceptable’

DOT secretary’s remarks follow recent fatal commuter crash and pledge for safety upgrades.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, August 15, 2025 at 02:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operating as Bering Air Flight 45 was similar to the one shown here. [FLYING Magazine Archive/U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has deemed Alaska's aircraft accident rate "unacceptable," highlighting aviation's critical role as the sole transportation for most of the state's remote communities.
Duffy pledged federal action, including investments in technology and infrastructure upgrades, to significantly improve aviation safety across Alaska's airspace.
Alaska experiences a disproportionately high rate of aircraft accidents and fatalities compared to the rest of the U.S., accounting for 42% of all U.S. small commercial aircraft crash deaths since 2016.

See a mistake? Contact us.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has described the rate of aircraft accidents in Alaska as “unacceptable,” pledging federal action to improve safety in the state’s airspace.

“I think it’s so important to recognize that, again, the rates of aviation crashes and aviation fatalities in Alaska are unacceptable,” Duffy said during a Wednesday press conference. “For too long, the Lower 48, and specifically the swamp in Washington, D.C., hasn’t heard the plea from Alaska for more help. We need better technology. We need some investments in a state where 82 percent of our communities can’t be reached by road.”