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Colby Ward
Ms. Crist
English IV
3/18/15

Why are there so many airplane safety concerns?

As human beings we tend to always be in a hurry to accomplish tasks, meet deadlines,

and arrive to our destinations the fastest, easiest, and most comfortable ways possible. Choosing
air travel rather than driving by car, bus or train helps people reach their destination much
quicker. The two most common reasons people choose air travel to reach their destinations is
speed and comfort. The most important factor I think is the safety record of air travel. Thus far,
air travel has been the safest means of travel for everyone. So why are there so many airplane
safety concerns?
One safety concern is that critics say pilots do not get enough training on how to react
when an airliner stalls or loses lift, and that changes in guidance about best practices have been
slow. The lesson has not been learned to this day. Everyone knows what the problem is, but
nobody is doing anything about it. Rarely does the pilot lose control of their airplane; however,
this cause continues to rank as the single largest cause of death amongst air travelers. Two
crashes in particular within the past six years have shown this issue to be unfortunately true.
These two crashes occurred in 2009 with the losses of an Air France flight from Rio De Janiero

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to Paris, and Colgan Air turboprop near Buffalo, New York. In both of these crashes the pilots
either chose to ignore or override imminent warnings of stalling. Stalling is a condition which
occurs when a plane loses lift because air flow over the airplanes wings is too slow. Pilots do
have stall training in which they learn to push the control stick forward, forcing the nose of the
airplane down causing it to swoop lower and regain speed. This technique is effective but can be
very uncomfortable to passengers and flight staff. Over the past thirty years most airlines have
encouraged and taught their pilots to hold the control stick steady and thrust the engines to use
power to get out of a stall. This technique helps to keep the airplane and ride as level as possible
making this a much more comfortable approach to correcting this situation. In examining stall
crashes from that period in 2009 that technique wouldnt have helped and would have led to
more accidents than it prevented. (Alwyn. After Jet Crashes, Aviation Industry struggling to
Re-Train Pilots.).
Another safety concern is aircraft maintenance and the employees performing the
maintenance. One documented example was evidenced by Southwest Airlines voluntarily
grounding about one-fifth of its aircraft related to concerns about safety procedures. This
decision to temporarily ground its aircraft was made after the discovery that a required
maintenance check on 128 of its Boeing 737-700s standby hydraulic systems had not been
checked. After Southwest found this error and notified the Federal Aviation Authority, FAA, the
decision was made by the FAA to allow the aircraft to continue operating the affected aircraft for
up to five days until Southwest was able to have all standby hydraulic systems checked. While
awaiting the FAAs response and plan of action related to this finding, approximately 820 flights
had to be cancelled. Southwest immediately and voluntarily removed the affected aircraft from
service, initiated maintenance checks, disclosed the matter to the FAA, and developed an action

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plan to complete all overdue checks. The safety of customers and employees is Southwests
highest priority and the airline is working quickly to resolve the situation. (Mangla. Southwest
airlines Maintenance Snafu Raises Safety Concerns. International Business Times. 25 Feb.
2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2015). This is just one example of how aircraft maintenance is and can be a
huge concern. USA TODAY performed a six-month investigation which discovered during the
past six years millions of passengers have flown on at least 65,000 U.S airline flights that should
have never took flight. Approximately 70% of airline maintenance work is contracted to repair
shops in the USA and abroad where mistakes can be made by poorly trained and ill-equipped
personnel. The Air Transport Association, ATA, maintenance program states U.S. airlines regard
safety as their highest responsibility, and their maintenance programs reflect that commitment to
safety. The ATA represents big U.S. airlines and states members havent had a fatal accident
attributable to maintenance since January 1, 2000. (Kryger USA TODAY Today in the Sky.
Planes with Maintenance Problems Have Flown Anyway. 4 Feb. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.)
Safety continues to be monitored and regulated heavily by the FAA. The continuing
mission of the FAA is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. The
ATA also aims to assist in helping airlines operate safely by providing safe, secure and profitable
air transport. Although safety concerns still remain a top priority within the airline industry, air
travel remains the safest and quickest means of travel today.

Works Cited

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Alwyn. After Jet Crashes, Aviation Industry struggling to Re-Train Pilots.

Mangla. Southwest airlines Maintenance Snafu Raises Safety Concerns. International
Business Times. 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2015
Kryger USA TODAY Today in the Sky. Planes with Maintenance Problems Have
Flown Anyway. 4 Feb. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.