In Denver, a recent aviation incident involving an American Airlines plane catching fire post-landing has led to heightened safety concerns about flying, with 12 individuals hospitalized. This incident adds to a series of aviation accidents, such as the midair collision near Washington in January that resulted in 67 fatalities, and another in February where one jet collided with another while taxiing at Seattle’s airport.
Federal authorities have been actively reassuring the public that despite these occurrences, flying remains the safest form of transportation, as corroborated by statistics. However, persistent coverage of aviation accidents is magnifying public awareness of aviation safety issues.
Several recent accidents are particularly significant:
– During mid-February, two small planes collided in midair near an Arizona airport, resulting in the death of two people. One plane managed a safe landing, whereas the other crashed and ignited into flames close to the runway at Marana Regional Airport near Tucson.
– Earlier this year, a commuter plane crash in western Alaska led to the deaths of all ten individuals on board. It was among the most fatal crashes in Alaska for over two decades. Data showed a rapid descent and deceleration without issuing any distress signals.
– A medical transport plane tragically crashed shortly after takeoff in a Philadelphia neighborhood in late January, killing all six people aboard as well as one ground victim. Investigation revealed that the cockpit’s voice recorder likely malfunctioned for years, and no distress signals were communicated.
– In a collision involving an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., all passengers and crew on both crafts perished in late January. This marked the worst U.S. air disaster since the November 2001 New York City incident that claimed 265 lives.
– A Jeju Air jetliner faced a severe accident in South Korea in December when it skidded from the runway, struck a concrete barrier, and caught fire after the landing gear failed. This disaster was marked as among South Korea’s deadliest aviation events, with only two survivors from the 181 individuals on board.
Other incidents resulted in injuries without fatalities:
– The American Airlines incident at Denver International Airport, triggered by engine vibrations, necessitated an emergency evacuation when the engine caught fire while taxiing.
– A small plane’s crash near a retirement community’s parking lot in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, while causing a fire, resulted in three burn-related injuries, though everyone survived.
– A Delta Air Lines aircraft overturned during a Toronto landing in February, causing minor injuries to some passengers after a harsh landing dislodge its right wing. Investigators are analyzing potential weather and human error contributions.
Several close encounters also underscore aviation handling challenges:
– A FedEx cargo plane had to perform an emergency landing in New Jersey earlier this month due to a bird-induced engine fire. The plane landed without injuries reported.
– Also in February, a Southwest Airlines plane near landing at Chicago Midway scrambled back mid-flight to avoid an unauthorized runway-crossing jet.
– At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a Japan Airlines plane accidentally clipped a Delta plane’s tail during taxiing, leaving no injuries.
– In an unnerving incident from early January, a JetBlue plane’s passenger prematurely opened an exit door, unfurling a slide, though swift passenger intervention prevented takeoff from Logan International Airport in Boston.
