Crossing the sky at all speed, with nothing below but 12,000 meters of thin air, it may seem scary, but when it comes to traveling on a commercial plane, this is not the riskiest phase of the flight.
THE Aviation Security It has become a theme of concern again after a series of alarming incidents in recent weeks, leading many eager passengers to rethink their trips.
Although it is always said that flying is one of the safest means of transport, these events – some with fatalities – reinforce that there are still risks.
But, according to pilots and experts, the most critical moments of the flight happen mainly in the take-off and in landing . And some consider one of them more dangerous than the other.
It was precisely in these phases that recent incidents occurred, leading the National Council for Security in US Transportation (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to open investigations.
Attention to air safety has increased, especially after the air collision on January 29 at Ronald Reagan National Airport, when an American Airlines jet, about to land, was hit by a Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission.
A few days later, a United Airlines flight, leaving Houston to New York, had to be evacuated before takeoff due to an engine fire. The 104 passengers and five crew came out of the aircraft on the track using slides and stairs.
Less than two weeks later, a Learjet 35A jet, belonging to Vince Neil, singer of Mötley Crüe (not on board), left the track by landing and collided with a Gulfstream Executive plane at Scotttsdale, Arizona, resulting in the pilot’s death.
Since then, growing concern for flight safety has affected not only passengers, but also the finances of airlines.
“We are scared”
“Many of us, who always hear that flying is the safest way to travel, we are scared right now,” said the deputy Bonnie Watson Coleman from New Jersey to the NTSB head during a supervision hearing on March 26.
Nevertheless, experts are still confident of flight safety and the industry’s ability to learn from these incidents to improve critical protocols.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), of the 1,468 accidents registered in 2024, 770 occurred during landing and 124 in takeoff.
To Mary Schiavo, transport analyst at CNN International, the higher frequency of accidents in these phases is due to the complexity of the maneuvers involved.
“Airports impose much more pressure on pilots, air traffic controllers and aircraft ”He said.
She believes that landing is more dangerous than taking off, as there is less margin of maneuver.
“Pousing is an extremely critical moment, especially for collisions in the air,” he explained. “When taking off, you have the track in front of you, while in landing there are fewer options if something goes wrong.”
The “Sterile Cockpit” rule
Takeoff and landing are treated with maximum seriousness. Pilots undergo strict training to react to any problem at these phases.
Therefore, the FAA prohibits any unnecessary conversation or distraction below 3,000 meters in altitude – It is the so -called “sterile cockpit” rule, created in 1981.
“These moments require full attention. You are accelerating from scratch to flight speed, with a loaded plane. Everything has to be perfectly aligned,” he explained Dennis Tajer spokesman for the American Airlines Pilot Association.
Pilots are still detailed checklists and redundancy systems to avoid errors. Even so, failures happen.
Last week, for example, Southwest Airlines flight 3278 almost took off from the wrong track at Orlando International Airport.
An air traffic controller noticed in time and canceled takeoff on the radio. “Stop! Southwest 3278, stop!” He warned. The pilots immediately braked the aircraft.
These cases show where industry can improve protocols to reduce risk, according to Jason Ambrosi, president of the airline pilots association.
“Safety is a shared responsibility that requires commitment from all involved, from commercial aviation to executive and general aviation,” he said.
Accidents are more common in general aviation
Incidents and accidents are more frequent in overall aviation – which includes often private aircraft – than commercial aviation.
Mike Ginter vice president of the aircraft owners and aircraft association, said that although accidents in this category are more numerous, most are not fatal.
“Last year we had 195 fatalities, but this number is falling. It was the safest year in the history of general aviation in the last 32 years,” he said.
There are currently about 205,000 general aviation aircraft in the US, and the sector has been constantly working to improve its safety.
What’s next?
NTSB investigations into recent incidents may take more than a year to complete, but changes are already being implemented.
FAA, for example, adopted one of NTSB’s urgent recommendations on Airport Airport helicopter operations after the January collision.
Meanwhile, pilots are still extremely aware of takeoff and landing moments.
“It’s not a rocket, but the amount of factors converging at these times is huge. The margin of error is minimal,” said Tajer. “We are always attentive, but in these phases of the flight, we need to be at the maximum level of alert.”
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Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
