Two fatal plane crashes within 24 hours of one another have spiked social media conversations surrounding the safety of private aviation travel. Many individuals took to social media on March 10th and March 11th, 2024 to share condolences and concern for the individuals that passed away on board the flights. Of the two plane crashes, one occurred in western Virginia and the other in northern Oregon.
Five people have been pronounced deceased following the plane crash in western Virginia. On March 10th, a twin-engine IAI Astra 1125 plane was reported by the Federal Aviation Administration to have crashed into the wooded area near the Ingalls Field Airport in Hot Springs, VA. The crash occurred around 3pm. Among those deceased were four adults and a minor. The plane was reported to have come short on the runway which led to the plane hitting the surrounding trees and then the hillside. The plane caught fire upon impact, killing all passengers. The individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.
On the same day, another plane crash took place in central Oregon involving a small plane that was inbound for Idaho. The crash occurred around 7 pm in the evening. The plane, a single-engine Piper PA-32, crashed roughly 6 miles southeast from Madras, OR and is reported to have no survivors. The crash is currently under investigation by the local sheriff’s office, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board. Due to difficulty in ability to contact the deceased’s family, specific information on those involved in the crash has yet to be released.
Social media conversations surrounding the two plane crashes have an overall negative sentiment. Since the crashes occurred on Sunday, the topics have had an overall reach of 59.42 M. The conversations have had 3.63 K mentions. Conversations peaked on March 10th, 2024 at 6:00 PM following the story breaking about the Virginia plane crash on news outlets with 1,995 K mentions.
Oregon authorities have identified a married couple from Idaho as the victims of a small plane crash Sunday that killed both people on board. A husband and wife from Caldwell, Idaho, were the two fatalities, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said. https://t.co/Phata8TPYl
— KEZI 9 NEWS (@KEZI9) March 12, 2024
Concerned citizens also took to social media to express concern for the volume of crashes occurring, both in the area and nationally.
How many near accidents and now another plane crash.
— Wendy Patterson (@wendyp4545) March 10, 2024
Didn't they change something recently that affected the control panel on planes?
I vaguely remember something from a few months ago but I can't remember exactly what it was they changed. https://t.co/zcq9387iVI
Family killed in Virginia plane crash had ties to soccer club in Spain, friends say https://t.co/dGu0sMIXs3
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) March 12, 2024
As the investigations continue, individuals are curious to see the reasoning for what appears to be a spike in the number of small-scale plane crashes.
Author: Lexi Merriman
