How safe is flying?

Sport Pilot

Sport Pilot

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I just completed my first flight on Tuesday. Woke up this morning with the news saying 257 died in one plane crash and 6 died in another.

Of course, I know there will always be accidents; electrical failures, fuel shortage, and human error.

But, how safe is flying generally?
 
How safe do you want it to be?
 
According to lead statistician, Zeus, on reddit, if you fly GA, it the #1 thing likely to kill you. Pilots are "dare devils"!

:popcorn:
 
how many died in car crashes??.. every plane crash is reported, and talked about... it is much safer than driving in a car, or walking down the street... Flying is fun, there are a lot of ways to have fun, some can kill ya., pick your fun!... no one is getting out of here alive, so chose to live and enjoy life!...
 
I know no one is getting out of here alive. I’ve been a Mortician for 18 years.
 
In general aviation (GA) it is as safe as the pilot wants it to be...to an extent. Take care of your plane, keep your eyes looking outside the cockpit and don't be stupid and GA is pretty safe.
 
Flying is as safe as you make it. You are almost 100% in control of your own safety. Make the most of it.
 
The majority of the risk involved is under your own control.

Mechanical abnormalities that are out of your control can usually be resolved with a safe/survivable outcome with proper training.

I feel just as comfortable if not moreso in the air, than behind the wheel of my car.
 
I have generally heard it is about the same level as riding a motorcycle, possibly slightly safer. In a plane most things that can go wrong are due to you, not those around you like motorcycles.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
drotto said:
I have generally heard it is about the same level as riding a motorcycle, possibly slightly safer. In a plane most things that can go wrong are due to you, not those around you like motorcycles.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
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I ran the numbers a while back. My conclusion was that for the airplanes and operations we typically fly, it's more likely to kill you than today's driving but less likely than riding a motorcycle. If you are looking for a comparable, flying a Cessna 172 is about as likely to kill you as driving a car was in the early 1970's.
 
asicer said:
I ran the numbers a while back. My conclusion was that for the airplanes and operations we typically fly, it's more likely to kill you than today's driving but less likely than riding a motorcycle. If you are looking for a comparable, flying a Cessna 172 is about as likely to kill you as driving a car was in the early 1970's.
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Keep fuel in the tanks and stay out of weather beyond your capability and it's pretty darn safe. With ADS-B, getting safer all the time, IMHO.
 
How can one get killed in an airplane? My biggest fear is engine failure. Other than that, what else other than being careless?
 
Challenged said:
Fire in flight would be a real fun one to go out on.
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How many of us received training that could help us deal with an in-flight fire? I know I did! Still a tough situation
 
70% of the General Aviation accidents each year are caused by you and me being behind the controls, with 10 times more fatal accidents being caused by pilot error than by mechanical failures (1613 versus 160 in the last 10 years). I'm really not sure if that's a comforting thought or a troubling thought, but here we are. I'd like to think that pilot error being the most likely cause gives me more control over the safety of each flight, but perhaps each pilot who was in a fatal accident may have had that same thought.
 
Most dangerous part of flying is driving to the airport.

Electrical Failure: Should be a non event in a GA plane if pilot does not freak out and situation is part of training
Fuel Shortage: Should be a non event in a GA plane if pilot does not freak out and situation is part of training
Human Error: Cause of most accidents is pilot freaking out.
 
Engine failure is actually shockingly low on the list of fatalities. If you fear it, get some glider time. Its a big confidence booster. In fact, as others have said, the most likely thing to kill you is *you*. So take your sh*t seriously and you'll be a happy old pilot one day.
 
Challenged said:
70% of the General Aviation accidents each year are caused by you and me being behind the controls, with 10 times more fatal accidents being caused by pilot error than by mechanical failures (1613 versus 160 in the last 10 years). I'm really not sure if that's a comforting thought or a troubling thought, but here we are. I'd like to think that pilot error being the most likely cause gives me more control over the safety of each flight, but perhaps each pilot who was in a fatal accident may have had that same thought.
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There are some accidents where I get the impression that the pilot wasn't thinking about safety AT ALL.
 
Sport Pilot said:
I just completed my first flight on Tuesday. Woke up this morning with the news saying 257 died in one plane crash and 6 died in another.

Of course, I know there will always be accidents; electrical failures, fuel shortage, and human error.

But, how safe is flying generally?
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Compared to what?
 
George Mohr said:
Engine failure is actually shockingly low on the list of fatalities. If you fear it, get some glider time. Its a big confidence booster. In fact, as others have said, the most likely thing to kill you is *you*. So take your sh*t seriously and you'll be a happy old pilot one day.
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I don't want to be a happy old pilot - I want to sit on my porch in a rocker and yell "Hey you kids, get off my lawn!"

I reject the idea of most mechanical issues being out of our control. Almost nothing breaks without some kind of warning but we're usually not in tune with what the airplane is telling us.
 
George Mohr said:
Engine failure is actually shockingly low on the list of fatalities. If you fear it, get some glider time. Its a big confidence booster. In fact, as others have said, the most likely thing to kill you is *you*. So take your sh*t seriously and you'll be a happy old pilot one day.
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I am a glider pilot
 
George Mohr said:
If you fear it, get some glider time.
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The problem with that, is our GA airplanes do not possess the same gliding capabilities as a glider.

Having glider experience definitely helps, but having the time performing gliding exercises in your own type of airplane is most beneficial.
 
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Do not obsess over the accident in the news. Airlines operated by Russia or its satellites have terrible safety records. In an authoritarian regime, "we're way overloaded" is overruled by "Suck it up.. Cleared for takeoff." While the FAA's maintenance and inspection standards might seem onerous to some people, they have given us an admirable safety record.

Bob
 
Sport Pilot said:
I just completed my first flight on Tuesday. Woke up this morning with the news saying 257 died in one plane crash and 6 died in another.

Of course, I know there will always be accidents; electrical failures, fuel shortage, and human error.

But, how safe is flying generally?
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Of the two accidents in question - the 257 was a non-US carrier, neither Boeing nor Airbus aircraft. The crash in Scottsdale (6 people) is being discussed in another thread, and until the NTSB report is published, only speculation. However, one reasonable theory is overload - 6 people in an airplane with 6 seats but still too much weight. Ask your CFI about weight & balance and center of gravity.

The other crash, more details here:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43724941

involved a Russian/Soviet airplane used by the Algerian military.
 
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