Off The Record
After A Catastrophic DC Wreck And A Toronto Plane That Flipped Upside Down, An Expert Explains Why There Appears To Be A “Increase” In Airline Catastrophes
In recent weeks, a number of flights in North America have resulted in fatalities; the most devastating of these was the mid-air collision in Washington, DC.
The ‘surge’ in plane crashes in recent years has sparked debate, but one expert says it has nothing to do with flying safety.
According to Jason Matzus, an aviation specialist and lawyer at Matzus Law, flying is still the safest mode of transportation.
Speaking to The US Sun, he said: “Naturally, recent plane crashes such as the Delta plane flipping on landing in Toronto and the midair collision at Reagan National in DC, have raised public awareness and concerns about the safety of flying.”
“While these events are tragic, the likely explanation is simply ‘random clustering’ – which occurs when multiple crashes occur over a short period, warping our general perception and causing us to think that there is an increasing trend in plane crashes, when in reality these crashes, despite being so close together, are merely coincidental and not caused by a systemic safety issue.”
“Our perception of an increasing trend is often amplified by media coverage.”
stating: “The reality remains that air travel is statistically the safest form of travel and the spate of recent crashes isn’t necessary indicative of an actual increase in frequency of plane crashes.”
It comes as an investigation into the incident is still ongoing, and 80 passengers were safely evacuated from a Delta Air Lines flight that crashed and overturned in Toronto on Monday, February 17.
On February 10, while in Arizona, Vince Neil’s private aircraft collided with another aircraft that was arriving from Austin, Texas, at Scottsdale Airport. Neil wasn’t on board.
According to the US Coast Guard, the wreckage of a plane carrying ten people that vanished over Alaska four days earlier (February 6) has been found, with three confirmed deceased.
A week prior to that (January 31), a medical airplane crashed in Philadelphia, killing all six people on board. Two days prior (January 29), a military helicopter and a commercial plane collided in midair in Washington, DC.
With the deaths of all 67 individuals involved in the Washington, DC, plane crash, it was the biggest aviation tragedy in the United States since 2001.
It happened when Flight 5342, a PSA Airlines aircraft operated by American Airlines, crashed with a Black Hawk helicopter while pilots Jonathan Campos and Samuel Lilley were approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to land its 60 passengers and two other crew members.
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