The recent spate of harrowing incidents on airplanes has raised concerns about air safety

 

The recent spate of harrowing incidents on airplanes has raised concerns about air safety, leading many to wonder if it's still safe to fly. While flying is still safer than most forms of travel, a closer look at the statistics and recent events reveals a more complex picture.

The Alaska Airlines flight that suffered a door plug blowout, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage, was a stark reminder of the potential risks of air travel. Passengers' phones and clothing were ripped from their bodies, and oxygen masks dropped as the plane made an emergency landing. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.

Other incidents, such as a Boeing jet plunging severely, causing passengers to be thrown onto the ceiling, and a passenger plane colliding with a military plane at a Tokyo airport, killing five members of the Japanese Coast Guard, have also raised concerns.

However, experts point out that flying is still safer than most forms of travel. Anthony Brickhouse, a crash investigator and professor of aviation safety, notes that the safest part of the trip is when you step aboard the pressurized tube. "You were more at risk driving to the airport," he says.

The statistics bear this out. Since 2009, only five people have died in accidents on scheduled commercial flights in the United States. In contrast, an average of over 100 people die on America's roads and highways every day.

However, other forms of flying, such as private jets and general aviation, are not as safe. Nearly 300 people have died since 2009 while traveling in "on-demand" air service, and nearly 5,500 people have died in general aviation.

Despite the overall safety record, there are concerns about the quality controls at aircraft manufacturers like Boeing. Ed Pierson, director of the Foundation for Aviation Safety, refuses to fly on the Boeing 737 Max, citing concerns about the company's safety record.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also identified issues with the Alaska Air plane that suffered the door plug blowout, finding that it had flown for over two months without the necessary bolts to keep the door plug in place.

Moreover, there have been a series of near-misses on runways at the nation's airports, including an incident in which a FedEx jet came within 150 feet of the runway before its pilots realized a Southwest jet was taking off on the same runway.

Experts like Brickhouse and Pierson agree that the system is under stress, with shortages of staff, pilots, maintenance personnel, and manufacturing personnel. Pierson warns of a sense of overconfidence in the aviation industry, which can lead to complacency and a lack of focus on safety.

Brickhouse, on the other hand, believes that the planes currently in use are safe, but acknowledges that the recent incidents have brought attention to a series of events that, while not posing a serious threat in themselves, should not have happened.

In conclusion, while flying is still safer than most forms of travel, the recent incidents and statistics highlight the need for continued vigilance and focus on safety in the aviation industry. As Brickhouse notes, "We have safety events in aviation all the time. That is not an indictment of the aviation industry. But after Alaska Air, it became a snowballing event, and everyone became hypersensitive."