How will this crash change air travel?
A tragic aviation accident in Washington, D.C., has reignited worries about aviation safety. Should it?
It didn’t take long after the tragic mid-air collision between a military helicopter and an American Airlines jet for the worries to resurface.
The accident was horrific — a regional jet approaching a runway at Ronald Reagan International Airport, an Army helicopter on a training mission, an explosion that illuminated the night sky above Washington, D.C. There were 64 people on the plane and three soldiers in the Army helicopter. No one survived.
(Updated: On Friday, we suffered another deadly crash in Philadelphia. I’ve opened this story to all subscribers.)
And now, the question every traveler must ask: How will this affect my next trip?
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Why we’re worried about aviation safety
The concerns about aviation safety have always been there. They flared up a year ago when Japan Airlines flight 516 burst into flames on a runway in Tokyo after colliding with a Coast Guard plane. (Our poll taken shortly after that showed that most travelers were not afraid to fly.)
But this one hits closer to home. It’s in the U.S. capital, along one of the busiest and most closely monitored sections of airspace in the United States. And people are saying to themselves, if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere.
Reality check: Air travel is remarkably safe.
The latest IATA Annual Safety Report says the aviation accident rate decreased from 1.30 per million sectors in 2022 to 0.80 in 2023. Overall, there was an average of one accident for every 880,293 flights.
But this accident comes at a strange time. Some of the key FAA officials responsible for aviation safety were removed last week when the new administration came to power, and now the issue of aviation security seems to have become politicized. At a time when trust in government is waning, many people don’t know what to believe anymore — and that’s unsettling.
What does this mean for your next flight?
That brings us to today’s question.
If you answered yes, please tell me why. Do you think aviation safety has been compromised? Will you drive to your destination instead, or cancel your travel plans?
If you said no, I’m also interested in your perspective. What made you dismiss this airline disaster? Will you make any changes when it comes to flying?
My take: I admit, I am afraid to fly. But I’m going anyway. I’ll be on a flight from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Sydney on Monday, and to be honest, I’m more worried about restrictions on my carry-on luggage. But still, it’s always there — the thought that something could go wrong and I could end up at the bottom of the Tasman Sea.
Your turn
Our comments are open. I’m interested in your perspective on the latest aviation accident and how it will affect your next flight.
I’ve always been a nervous flyer and of course this tragic accident doesn’t help that, but I don’t want fear to rule my life and if I want to travel, flying is the easiest way to get where I want to go. Do I say thank you to the powers that be every time we land safely? Absolutely. But while I’m in the air I have to put my faith in the skilled pilots flying the plane.
I am less concerned with the airlines and Air Traffic control than I am with the military using air space near major airports for training. Seems that should be the focus and NOT POLITICAL POINTS, like the moron running the country calling it a DEI problem. WT….?