[US Airplanes Have Gone 16 Years Without a Fatal Crash, But Experts Warn of Increasing Risk of Collision
The US had gone 16 years without a fatal crash until Wednesday night, when a regional jet from Wichita, Kansas, operated by American Airlines, collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, killing 67 people.
The crash was the first fatal crash of a commercial US airplane since 2009, and experts warn that the increasing stress on the air travel system has made it more likely for a disaster to occur. The US air travel system is under strain, with a well-documented shortage of air traffic controllers and congestion in many major metropolitan areas, including Washington D.C.
Anthony Brickhouse, an aviation safety expert, said, “I’m saddened, but I’m not surprised. In the last two to three years, we’ve had so many close calls with commercial planes having near collisions in and near airport environments. If changes aren’t made, you eventually meet with tragedy.”
Experts say that while the US air travel system has a gold standard for safety, there are stresses on the system that have been apparent in a series of near-tragedies in recent years. Captain Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines pilot, said, “We’ve got all the things stacked up against us. We’ve got to protect the American public’s trust in the system and prevent tragedies like this from every happening again.”
The near-collision between a United Airlines flight and a Delta Air Lines flight at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport just three weeks ago is a prime example of the risks involved. The planes were less than a quarter-mile apart when they received warnings that they were too close to each other.
Experts warn that near-collisions are more common than the public realizes, and that complacency has no place in air travel. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, and will determine the cause of the accident.
In the past, there have been several close calls, including a charter jet that nearly crossed a runway at Los Angeles International Airport where a Delta plane was taking off, and a FedEx jet that came within 150 feet of a runway where a Southwest jet was taking off.
Despite the implementation of safety measures, near-collisions continue to occur, and experts believe that more drastic measures need to be taken to prevent future tragedies. As Captain Dennis Tajer said, “We’ve got to investigate accidents before they happen, not after, to get long-term fixes. Complacency has no place in our skies today, and we have to make sure we maintain that attitude.”
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