Airplane Disasters and Plane Crash Statistics

The truth about flying safety

The majority of the people who step onto a commercial airliner have no knowledge of how this big capsule with wings can get off the ground. Naturally their greatest concern (especially for the fearful flyer) is "what if something goes wrong and we are 33,000 feet off the ground?"

Consider the statistics below:

Probability of being killed in an airplane accident vs. other causes of death

Your chances of being involved in an aircraft accident are about 1 in 11 million. On the other hand, your chances of being killed in an automobile accident are 1 in 5000. Statistically, you are at far greater risk driving to the airport than getting on an airplane. However, the perception is that you have more control over your fate when you are in your car than as a passenger traveling on an airplane. Experience shows otherwise, considering that over 50,000 people are killed on the highways every year.

An article in Time magazine (12/4/06) reminds us that "more than 500 times as many people die on U.S. roads as in airline accidents." The article "Why We Worry About the Things We Shouldn't" further goes on to give some startling statistics about the kind of accidents that kill Americans. The data is from 2003, the most recent year for which data is available. According to the article, if you're a bike rider, a dog lover, or a bath taker then you're at far greater risk of being killed in an accident than you are from riding in a commercial aircraft. Don't forget the other kinds of accidents that killed more people than aircraft crashes--stinging from bees/wasps, slipping on ice or snow, choking on food, or falling down stairs or off ladders. It's a dangerous world we live in! And please don't forget the 600 Americans who are killed every year from falling out of bed.

The Time article goes on to talk about the fear of flying and that for many it's a control issue.

"We similarly misjudge risk if we feel we have some control over it, even if it's an illusory sense. The decision to drive instead of fly is the most commonly cited example, probably because it's such a good one. Behind the wheel, we're in charge; in the passenger seat of a crowded airline, we might as well be cargo. So white-kuckle flyers routinely choose the car...The most white-knuckle time of all was post-Sept. 11 when even confident flyers took to the roads. Not surprisingly, from October through December 2001 there were 1,000 more highway fatalities than in the same period the year before (in part because there were simply more cars around)...the '9-11 effect produced a third again as many fatalities as the terrorist attacks,' says David Ropeik, an independent risk consultant and a former professor at the Harvard School of Public Health."

Negative Bias

Media coverage would suggest that airline crashes happen every day. Studies have shown one would have to fly once a day every day for over 15,000 years in order to statistically be involved in an aircraft accident! Yet stories of aircraft accidents are between 150 to 200 times more likely to receive front-page coverage than other more common causes of death. Consequently, fearful flyers develop a negative bias toward flying. That is, they will bias their perception to notice those events and experiences that support their fears, i.e. If I believe flying is dangerous and risky, then I will pay attention to anything in the media that supports my fear and perception; I will ignore anything that is contrary to this position, for example, information about the safety of flying.

Your fears become validated by the continual bombardment of media coverage following an airline accident. Who can forget the horrifying coverage of the airplanes flying into the World Trade Center on 9/11 replayed over and over until the major networks agreed it served no purpose to replay the events? But it's highly unlikely that you'll see headlines "Fifty People Killed Yesterday in Bed Falls."

Airplane disasters and plane crash statistics make for more dramatic, "eye-catching" newsprint. Not nearly enough information is printed on aircraft safety. Because disasters seem to be more newsworthy to the public, the media is naturally attracted to the financially acceptable print, and naturally it is LARGE PRINT in these cases.

Okay, I am SO biased against flying! How can I get over it?

Ease your flying fear with Chicken Soup for the Soul's Fearless FlightKit™ which includes:

Real Life Fearful Flyer's Stories - Former fearful flyers tell how they overcame their fear

Flight Guide - Personal checklist to take on your flight

Flight Harmonizer CD - The CD that will distract you from your fear

Buy the Fearless FlightKit™ ($24.95 plus s&h)

More details: complete outline of the Fearless FlightKit™

So What is the "Plane" Truth about Flying Safety?

Would you like to learn about how routinely an aircraft is maintained and that if you used the same schedule for your car each year it would cost you thousands of dollars?

How about some facts about turbulence and how the aircraft is designed to withstand Mother Nature and her forces?

Capt. Ron, a 40-year aviation veteran, would like an opportunity to tell you of his bias toward flying safety. In his Cleared for Takeoff webinar he tells you the "plane truth" about flying and helps you become a better flyer. For $57 you can download this informative and entertaining class and from the comfort of your home or office, you can understand more about flying. You'll be able to replace your questions and misinformation with knowledge. Check out Captain Ron's Cleared for Takeoff Fear of Flying Webinar.

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