The past few months have been marked by an unsettling wave of horrific air traffic tragedies around the world.
On the morning of December 22, 2024, a Piper Cheyenne carrying the pilot and nine passengers departed the Canela Airport in Brazil. Less than two minutes after takeoff, the aircraft, which was flying in challenging weather conditions, struck a building. The pilot and nine members of his family were killed in the crash, and 17 people on the ground were injured, some severely.
One week later, on December 29, a Boeing 737-800 from Jeju Air attempted to belly land at Muan, South Korea. It overshot the runway and slammed into an embankment, killing all but two of the 181 people on board.
Just a month later, on January 29, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 in Washington, D.C. The impact resulted in a massive fireball, and both demolished aircraft plunged into the Potomac River. The three crew members on board the helicopter and the 64 souls on the jetliner were killed.
Only two days later, a Medivac Learjet crashed in Philadelphia, killing all six on board, including an 11- year-old female patient, her mother, and four crew members. One person in a vehicle on the ground was killed, and at least 24 others were injured.
Several days later, in Alaska, a Cessna Caravan, a small commuter aircraft owned by Bering Air, went down over the Bering Sea on February 6, crashing onto an ice floe. It had taken off from the tiny town of Unalakleet and was headed for Nome, but contact was lost with the plane just 10 minutes before its scheduled arrival. All 10 people onboard died.
Precious Lives
Human lives can never be measured by statistical data. Tragedies like these spark empathy in the hearts of millions—and leave surviving family members, friends, and co-workers reeling in immeasurable shock and anguish.
“There’s like a place in my mind that I can’t get near with all of the pain and grief. It’s like the door in my house to my daughter’s room—I just can’t go anywhere near it,” said Andy Beyer, whose wife and daughter were killed in the devastating D.C. collision. His daughter, Brielle, had recently turned 12 and was one of 11 talented young figure skaters on the flight. In all, 28 people connected to the skating world lost their lives in the accident.
“We are coming to terms with the grief associated with the loss of our beautiful and accomplished firstborn,” the family of Kiah Duggins stated. Duggins, a young, enthusiastic civil rights attorney, and two of her colleagues were passengers on the same flight.
One of the flight attendants was 53-year-old Ian Epstein. “My brother was a wonderful, wonderful man,” his sister shared. “He used to talk about the people he met on the plane as if they were all new friends.”
Then there was Wendy Jo Shaffer, mother to two young children back at home, ages one and three. “We are devastated,” her family stated. “Words cannot truly express what Wendy Jo meant as a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife and most importantly, a mother.”
Dozens of other families were similarly affected by these accidents, the precious lives of loved ones blotted out unexpectedly, in one brutal moment, by mechanical failure, circumstances of nature, or human error.
It all reminds us how fragile and unpredictable life really is. As the Bible puts it, life is “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).
The Inevitable Question
Why …? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to know, but so often we can't answer that question. In our human limitations, we fail to make sense of what has occurred, and the absence of meaning can lead to discouragement. We weren’t designed to deal with tragedy. Ultimately, only God can make sense of the heartbreaking circumstances of life because He alone is omniscient. Only He can see the end from the beginning.
We may not understand the whys in this life, but if we choose to trust Him, God will provide the support we need when life doesn’t make sense. He cares deeply about us, even when we question Him. By putting our faith in Him, we can have stability in a world that often leaves us staggering in confusion and doubt. As our solid foundation, He provides the power to cope in uncertain times.
Our Only Surety
Furthermore, Jesus offers us eternal life with Him, assuring us: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Our Savior is our only surety. By accepting His gift, we gain assurance of an infinitely better future with a “new heaven and a new earth” void of all tragedy (Revelation 21:1) and “no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying … no more pain” (v. 4).
With hurt and chaos consuming our world, we know Jesus’ coming is near. Are you ready to go home with Him? If not, He invites you into a relationship with Him today. “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). Simply ask Him to come into your life, talk with Him, read His Word, and let Him lead you. By putting your trust in Him daily, you can have the assurance of eternal life now (1 John 5:13) and soon inhabit His kingdom of love.
Want to know more about the salvation Jesus offers you today? Read our free Study Guide here.