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 labeled Alaska's aircraft accident and fatality rates "unacceptable" and pledged federal action to enhance aviation safety.
This initiative is critical as aviation serves as the only practical transportation for 82% of Alaska's remote communities.
Federal intervention will include investments in new technology and infrastructure upgrades to address the state's significantly higher accident rates compared to the rest of the United States.

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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.”