There have already been several high-profile airplane crashes that have occurred thus far this year, some of which have been fatal, which has resulted in media coverage that suggests an increased frequency of such accidents.

Another incident can be added to the tally after a small single-engine, prop-driven private plane with two people on board, a pilot and a passenger, crashed near an airport in North Carolina, killing both occupants, according to WSOC-TV.

Yet, while some may attempt to exploit this tragedy to further a narrative of an increased rate of aircraft accidents, the official numbers indicate that such a narrative would be false.

No survivors

WSOC-TV reported that a spokesman for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Master Trooper Rico Stephens, confirmed that there were no survivors from the small private plane that crashed near an airport Friday morning.

He also shared that authorities were still working to identify the victims and notify their families of their loss.

The Federal Aviation Authority said in a statement, "A Beechcraft Bonanza crashed near Pitt-Greenville Airport in North Carolina around 7:50 a.m. local time on Friday, March 14. Two people were on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates."

Clean up and condolences

Local ABC affiliate WCTI reported that the small aircraft crashed around some businesses near the airport but was believed to have caused no significant damage to the buildings or injuries or death for anybody on the ground.

The crash did prompt local law enforcement to block off a mile-long stretch of a major road for about eight hours to keep traffic away from the crash site and allow for an initial investigation by the Highway Patrol to begin, with the FAA and NTSB running a separate parallel probe once federal officials arrive at the scene.

Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), in whose district the deadly incident occurred, said in a statement, "I am deeply heartbroken by the tragic loss of life in the plane crash in Greenville this morning."

"We mourn and pray for peace for their family and loved ones in this very difficult time," the congressman added. "Thank you to the Greenville Police Department and emergency responders for your immediate response to this devastating event."

Are airplane crashes happening more frequently?

Some in the media have attempted to perpetuate a narrative, likely for partisan purposes, that strongly insinuates a sudden and dramatic increase in the number of aircraft incidents since President Donald Trump took office in January.

One possible example comes from Georgia's WSB-TV and its report on Friday that noted how there have been nearly twice as many plane crashes as days of the year thus far, with at least 140 incidents, 16 of which have involved fatalities, in just 73 days.

To be sure, that does sound like a lot -- and admittedly even one crash is too many -- until one considers the millions of flight hours flown by tens or even hundreds of thousands of aircraft per year, not to mention the fact that, according to Newsweek, the total number of crashes and the number of fatal accidents have been declining for the past couple of decades.

That year-over-year decline was especially evident in a comparison of 2024's numbers with 2025's totals thus far, as South Carolina's Greenville News reported that there were 173 crashes in January and February of last year, including 31 with fatalities, while the first two months of this year saw a total of 99 incidents, of which 14 were deadly.