Flying high

Yet another flight-related accident/injury in the news today, this time with about 30 people injured, 10 of them seriously, in a Northwest flight from the Philippines to Japan. Officials are blaming it on turbulence, but that’s little consolation. Last week there were two accidents, with the Continental flight from Newark to Buffalo crashing into a house and killing all on board, and the British Airways plane crash landing at the City Airport and injuring two. Earlier in February, there was a crash in Brazil after the plane flew into heavy rain. Twenty four people died. And of course, who could forget the January incident when a US Airways flight ditched into the Hudson River after flying into a flock of birds. Luckily only one person was seriously injured.

Five major accidents this year alone, and we’re only in mid/end February! All this at a time when I’m about to begin regular flying again. If I were a nervous flyer, I’d be shaking in my boots by now. Except I’m not a nervous flyer and I’d be crazy to wear boots in this weather. But still, none of this is very confidence-inducing.

Perhaps the only silver lining for me is that the majority of these planes are run by US airlines and I’m not about to go there anytime soon. But then again, so many of my friends are in the States. Sigh. I wonder if any of this is tied to cost-cutting measures? Because if it is, these airlines need to think seriously about what constitutes appropriate and feasible cost-cutting. General rule of thumb: Don’t skimp on anything that could threaten lives!