A Boeing 737 crashed into a bridge over the river on Jan. 13, 1982, just after taking off from Washington National Airport in a snowstorm.

Despite recent headlines, U.S. commercial airline travel has become increasingly safe. An American Airlines regional jet collided with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River, killing 67 people. A private medical jet crashed in Philadelphia, with 7 lives lost.

Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River. 78 passengers, cabin crew members and motorists died. Just five people survived, and only three are still alive to witness news of the American Airlines plane that collided with a U.

“The recent spike falls into the margins of unpredictability,” said Darren Straker, a former head of air accident investigation units in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong told Bloomberg News in December. He suggested airline crews could be better trained to respond to so-called outlier events.

Aviation is in the spotlight after two deadly crashes involving airplanes in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, in a matter of days. NBC’s Tom Costello reports for TODAY on the investigations as salvage missions continue.