WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of major accidents involving military aircraft spiked in 2024, internal Pentagon figures show, and a series of high-profile aviation mishaps with deaths and the loss of aircraft in 2025 suggest the disturbing trend may be continuing.
Across the military, the rate of severe accidents per 100,000 flight hours rose 55% in the 2024 budget year compared with four years earlier. The Marine Corps saw the highest increase, nearly tripling its rate over the same period.
The data, which was released by the Defense Department to Congress and provided exclusively to The Associated Press, tracks Class A mishaps — the most serious accidents, which result in death or a permanent full disability.
An aviation expert noted that broader worsening trends are unlikely the result of a single factor but rather a reflection of multiple smaller issues that accumulate to create an unsafe culture. These issues include increased operational demands, riskier aircraft like the V-22 Osprey, and interruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a significant curtailing of flying time across the military.
But the rising number of serious accidents has some in Congress looking for answers. The data was released to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, in January after her office requested the information following several deadly incidents involving the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.
The statistics cover the full budget years 2020-2023 and then the first 10 months of the 2024 budget year, through July 31. In those 10 months of last year, 25 service members and Defense Department civilian employees were killed and 14 aircraft were destroyed.
“These accident rates are incredibly troubling and demand action,” Warren told the AP in an emailed statement. She said legislative changes to make accident reports more accessible “are desperately needed so Congress can understand the root causes of these accidents to save service member lives.”
Several military aircraft have been especially prone to crashing. The Osprey has been characterized as particularly dangerous. Additional Pentagon data showed that the Apache helicopter had about 4.5 times the rate of the most serious Class A accidents during the 2024 budget year compared to four years earlier. The C-130 transport plane also nearly doubled its rate over the same period.
The Pentagon has not yet addressed these alarming trends. The Navy’s data on aviation mishaps reveals a marked increase this year with eight Class A mishaps reported in 2024 and a total of 14 in 2025.
Aviation expert and former military pilot John Nance suggested that the growing demands on military pilots significantly contribute to the increased accidents.
Incidents this year have raised eyebrows, including a collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet over Washington, D.C., resulting in 67 fatalities. Investigations found multiple issues, including a broken gauge and malfunctioning night vision goggles.
If this upward trend in mishaps continues, Congressional action may become necessary to ensure better safety protocols and training within military aviation.
