Today, with social media and easy access to the internet, we hear about plane crashes minutes after they happen, whether it’s a small plane in a distant town in Siberia or in the middle of a city.
Meanwhile, the tragic Florida plane crash last week that claimed nine lives has left many people wondering whether flying is becoming more dangerous.
Among the victims were pilot Jeff Gregory, 55, co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, and a family of four with two young children. The aircraft may have encountered turbulence and icing, which could have caused it to plunge from about 35,000 feet.The tragedy has also drawn attention to other recent aviation accidents, raising questions about why so many crashes appear to be happening.
Commercial flying is safer than ever, expert says
According to Jan-Arwed Richter, founder and CEO of the German Aviation Safety Bureau (JACDEC), there is little evidence that commercial flying is becoming more dangerous.
In fact, when speaking to the Daily Mail, he said it is the “safest era in aviation history” for passenger jets. Richter explained that air travel has increased dramatically over the past 25 years, while fatalities have fallen.
In total, around 1.7 billion passengers traveled by air annually at the beginning of the millennium. Today, that figure is approximately a staggering five billion.But while fatalities have dropped, the picture is different when comparing regular commercial jets and private jets. Jan-Arwed Richter warned that smaller aircraft and private jets can present different safety challenges.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is still investigating the Florida Learjet crash. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s sudden descent, including the reported weather conditions.
