Aircraft is the safest mode of transport on Earth, even cars and trains are significantly inferior in safety to airplanes. Despite this, with each new catastrophe, there are more and more aerophobes. Many people in the world are afraid of airplanes, mistakenly believing that other modes of transport are much safer. Is it true that the chance of an accident is great? And can you call the plane the safest mode of transport? We need to figure it out.
Statistics and Odds
To determine that the plane is the safest mode of transport, you should read the statistics. On average, seventeen disasters are officially recorded annually. It is important to understand that these sad events occurred not only in Russia, but also around the world. For the hundred years of the existence of civil aviation during flights, one hundred thousand people became victims of air crashes. This is less than a year in car accidents.
It is worth noting that cargo flights crashes are no less than passenger flights, which is another argument in favor of choosing an airplane. The chance of falling is so small that a person is more likely to die as a result of a lightning strike than after a plane crash. A statistical analysis led to the conclusion: public opinion regarding transport safety is based on fears and superstitions.
Flight safety
It is worth mentioning the positive qualities of flying. This is the fastest mode of transport. It can also be said that the safest mode of transport is aircraft. To agree with this statement, all flight histories should be studied. As you can see, the list of air crashes is small.
Engine failure
Flights are the safest way to travel. This has been proven for centuries since the start of aviation. The plane flies thanks to the wings, during landing, departure and flight its movements are controlled by engines. But what happens if they fail?
If one engine fails, the passenger will not feel it, because the aircraft can be controlled by the second engine. And even if both fail, the plane will not fall at a right angle downward, but will begin to plan about two hundred kilometers in the air indefinitely.
Turbulence
You do not often meet such a person who did not fall into the turbulence zone during flights. Everyone describes it as pitching. What is it? Turbulence is when, upon acceleration of liquids or gases in the environment, vortices are formed that irritate the environment.
Many passengers are wondering: can turbulence cause tragedy? This cannot happen. The aircraft is designed so that in order to crash due to turbulence, you need a force that can only be in the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter.
Pilots try to fly around the turbulence zone, and airplanes can endure incredible shaking, so in terrestrial conditions the chance of falling from turbulence tends to zero. Only once in the history of mankind did the plane crash due to turbulence when the pilot decided to fly over the volcano. Therefore, turbulence is only a problem of comfort, not safety.
Bad weather
Pilots are well versed in weather conditions. For a certain time before departure, they look at the forecast on the route so as not to get into the storm. If the weather forecast does not comply with safety regulations, the flight is canceled or rescheduled for another day. Before the start of their career, pilots pass many tests on simulators, learn to act decisively and calmly in any situation.
How much does wind shear affect flight
Wind shear - a sharp change in the movement and (or) air speed at a small distance in the atmosphere. This is an important factor affecting the aircraft during takeoff and landing. It applies not only to aircraft, but also to other types of aircraft.
Wind shear occurs in the lowest layers of the atmosphere (up to one hundred meters in height). Modern aircraft have a large mass, which makes them more inert. High inertia does not allow the aircraft to quickly change its speed. The preservation of this speed by an airplane when flying through different wind levels leads to a change in speed in the air. Because of this, the plane follows a trajectory lower than expected, which makes landing unsafe.
What is really dangerous?
Icing is when the plane is covered with ice outside. Occurs when flying in the sky with supercooled drops of water. This is very dangerous, because icing affects the controllability of the aircraft, making it heavier. The result may be an accident or even a plane crash. Even at the airport, an airplane can freeze at minus temperatures. Before the flight, the vessel is treated with a special liquid that stops the formation of ice. Every external part of the aircraft is doused: from the wings to the stabilizer. In the atmosphere, icing is unlikely, but possible.
Causes
There are three main causes of air crashes:
- Staff error.
- Technical difficulites.
- Act of terrorism.
Let's consider each of them separately.
Staff error
It should be understood that a personnel error means not only the wrong step of the pilots during the flight, but also the unprofessional work of maintenance and operation specialists, technicians, controllers, and operators. After all, it is impossible to predict human actions, and flight is a complex sequence of technical processes that requires strict control.
Most plane crashes are due to the human factor, official statistics say this. However, technology is advancing rapidly. Every year, aircraft engineers develop new automatic systems, design new generation aircraft, which minimizes the human role in flight.
Technical difficulites
Bad and cheap equipment can easily refuse to work at any uncomfortable moment, but even high-quality automation fails. Failure of equipment is a frequent cause of air crashes, about a third of falls occur precisely because of this.
The main causes of malfunctions are malfunctions of the on-board computer and navigation systems. It is very difficult to find out the exact cause of these failures. Given this, airlines are buying new and safe aircraft, abandoning outdated models.
Act of terrorism
Since the middle of the last century, terrorist acts have become a big problem affecting flight safety. Most often, terrorists hijack a ship or plant explosives in an airplane. Such disasters, unfortunately, take many lives.
Is it dangerous to fly on airplanes? As you can see, the statistics of falls is low, and their causes are rare situations from which no one is safe on earth either.