flight safety detectives episode 260 - Is it Safe to Fly?

A look at several recent high-profile aviation accidents. Although flying is much less risky than decades ago, crashes change the public’s opinion about aviation safety. It now feels less safe to fly.

The February 17 crash in Toronto of an Endeavor Airlines CRJ-900 operating as a Delta Air Lines regional flight gets particular emphasis. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith and John Goglia compare the Toronto crash to three other crashes where the wings broke off, the aircraft ended up inverted, and there was a post-crash fire.

The 1997 crash of a FedEx MD11 at Newark Airport is one similar event. John was the NTSB board member leading the on-site investigation.

The detectives discuss the known evidence and what is expected to be uncovered during the investigation. The crash is being investigated in Canada, so the release of public information is expected to be somewhat limited.

Witnesses both inside and outside the accident aircraft published videos shortly after the accident. These make it possible to estimate the aircraft’s speed before landing and average descent rate as well as see the initial breakup of the aircraft.

The videos also offer a case study of evacuation practices and issues. While the videos provide valuable insights for investigators, the passengers who took videos during the evacuation jeopardized safety.

Hear why the evacuation slides did not deploy. The detectives share the smart decisions made by the flight crew to avoid issues that happened in the Miracle on the Hudson event.
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The detectives separate fact from fiction in the media commentary about the Toronto accident. Some experts are just plain wrong.