Travel has become more advanced over the past century. The rise of motorized vehicles has dominated culture, and the airplane has created a means for traveling long distances in a short amount of time. The world without flight would be unfathomable to most at best, as it has become both an addiction and a necessity. However, as with all forms of transportation, there are dangers that are involved in flying to various destinations.
Many airlines claim that flying is by far the safest form of transportation and that accidents are rare. While it is true that accidents are rare, other complications with flying are quite frequent. There isn’t a day that goes by in which there are no problems or complications with flying equipment of some kind. Though planes are maintained on a regular basis, there is no way to control outside factors such as weather and even animals. In January of 2009, a United Airlines flight crashed into the cold Hudson River after it collided with a flock of birds in the vicinity. An emergency landing was in order. Though all of the passengers survived, their survival was attributed to the pilot’s years of experience and wisdom in such matters. This accident could have been fatal, causing hundreds of deaths.
One flight was not so lucky. Continental Express flight 3407 crashed into a neighborhood, killing those that were on board and one in the house it crashed into. There were a total of 50 deaths that night, attributed to the weather conditions at the time. Ironically, both of these previous crashes occurred within a few miles of the airport.
Despite the fact that both of these flights were major airliners, these are the safest forms of flying available. The major media generally only picks up the stories of large planes that crash, and tend to look over the numerous private flight crashes that occur all the time. According to Plane Crash Info, there are only 4.03 fatalities per million flight hours on major airliners. That number more than doubles to 10.74 for commuter flights and soars to 22.43 for private planes.
Flying is a dangerous activity and should be done only when necessary and with caution. Major airlines are much safer than small planes and should be used when possible. Though safety standards are rising, they still have a long way to go.