The Daily Beast issues a warning for those who want to read its second annual rankings of the worst airline safety records:
“For those who fear flying, a caveat before reading this: Mile-for-mile, airplane travel is the safest mode of transportation, and America arguably has the safest air traffic system in the world,” the popular online news site says.
“A kid who goes to the airport today is more likely to grow up to be president than die on a flight he or she takes today,” said Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Arnold Barnett, who studies airline safety. “The risk is on the order of one in 25 million.”
Fatalities are very rare. For example:
—The last fatal commercial airline crash was in 2009, when a Colgan Air flight operating with the Continental logo on its tail crashed outside Buffalo, killing 50.
—The last time a major carrier fell from the sky was in 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed into a residential Queens neighborhood, killing 265.
Also, air crashes do not necessarily mean fatalities.
“It’s clear from federal investigations that when air safety is compromised, which is not often, passengers and crew are much more likely to suffer contusions and broken bones than lose their lives,” the site says.
But when the company crunched the numbers from the National Transportation Safety Board, it found:
—SkyWest Airlines (operating as Delta Connection, United Express, Air Tran) had the No. 1 accident ranking. There were several reports of close calls.
—They were followed by US Airways and Atlantic Southeast Airlines (operating as Delta Connection, United Express).
The rankings were complicated and included various elements. And The Daily Beast pointed out that past performance is no indicator of future flights.
“But here’s one last curveball: Airlines with more mishaps and near-misses may, in fact, end up avoiding serious accidents down the road,” the site says.
For the entire story, read thedailybeast.com.
By David Wilkening
