Yes, small airplanes have a worse safety record than large, commercial airliners.NTSB data from 2019 puts small airplane accident rates at a staggering 28 times that of commercial aircraft. Therein lies the horror of two separate instances of an airplane having crashed on public highways in two days. 

Two incidents wherein small airplanes crashed onto highways in just two days have people scratching their heads

First responders arrived at a small airplane crash scene in Westchester County, New York. The aircraft, a single-engine propeller airplane, went down at around 7:00 p.m. attempting a landing in a grassy section between the south and north lanes of I-684.

Unfortunately, the 32-year-old flight instructor died when the plane plowed into a stretch of guardrail on the highway. According to CBS News, a passenger was on board. However, the passenger’s condition isn’t clear at this time. What’s more, the crash was under two miles away from its destination: a small county airport. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told media that the crash is under investigation. The NTSB is the government agency that investigates transportation crashes, from cars and trains to airplanes. 

Tragically, the news comes just a day after a small, twin-engine Piper PA-31 Navajo airplane crashed into an intersection beside a Texas highway. Fortunately, the Texas incident didn’t result in any fatalities. However, the crash pitted the little twin-engine propellor plane against three cars. Emergency services arrived quickly, treating and transporting four injured people at the crash site. 

Social media videos reveal what looked like a sufficient emergency landing. However, as the speeding aircraft crossed into the intersection, it struck multiple vehicles. Unfortunately, the impact sheered the PA-31 Navajo in half. Still, despite the carnage of the aftermath, the pilot and vehicle passengers on the ground survived. The event did, however, call for an air ambulance for one of the four injured people.