Scared to fly after Air India crash - should I cancel?

[Springhare76]

I am an extremely nervous flier at the best of times and can barely hold it together for an entire flights (crying, panic attacks etc). I try to cling to the fact that it's so unlikely to crash but after the recent Air India crash I am more terrified than ever as what happened is basically what everyone says can't happen. God rest their souls. Anyone else cancelling their flights this summer?

I think you sound too anxious to fly at the moment. It might be best to cancel this flight and get some therapy to help you cope.

No amount of posters on here telling you flying is safe is going to help.

I also don’t think it’s fair on your fellow passengers if you can ‘barely hold it together’ with ‘crying, panic attacks’. I say that as someone who was once on a flight on which a woman screamed at every slight bump, and when she wasn’t doing that she was whimpering in her seat. It was very unpleasant for the other passengers and undoubtedly horrendous for her.

I’ve had to fly 4 times since that crash. I am scared of flying. Just do it op. What’s the point in life if you can’t even have your holiday?

The fear of flying is more about not having ANY control over what's happening once you are strapped into a sealed metal tube, than simply mortality. In fact, fear of flying is often classified more accurately as a control-based or claustrophobia-adjacent anxiety, not a fear of crashing per se. And recent crashes exacerbate that anxiety.

All the examples given in the responses, such as crossing the road, driving etc., still gives us a sense of control over our responses, whether that is realistic or not. But on a plane there's nothing you can do. That's where the fear comes from, so a lesson in statistics to a person with a fear of flying accomplishes very little.

OP, the best thing, as PPs have suggested is to get something to relax you before getting on the plane like a low dose benzodiazepine.

..and if you are given the mandatory inspections ordered by the Indian CAA equivalent in the wake of the accident (seemed to be on the basis of."we don't know what happened so check almost everything) you"ll probably be flying on the most thoroughly checked out Boeings in the world.

GP will not prescribe diazepam for flying.

Whenever I feel nervous, I think about what my friend said once. Her husband is a pilot. She said she worried about him driving to/from Heathrow/Gatwick on the motorway but never about him flying the plane. That put it into perspective a bit! Look on Flight Radar to see how many planes are in the skies right now, all sorts of planes from giant jumbo jets to tiny little propeller planes hopping between islands.

Accept that you don’t like it and it’s okay to feel nervous. But don’t let it stop you enjoying life.

Yes, I can't help but recall how they tried to push the blame onto Lion Air and Ethiopian Air in previous crashes, not-so-subtly implying that as airlines from developing countries they were obviously less safe, whereas it transpired that it was Boeing itself that was at fault.

The reason why we hear of plane crashes is because they’re so rare, that when they happen they are newsworthy.

you’re at much higher risk of having an accident driving or crossing the road.

Thanks all. Just to clarify, I am flying on Easyjet not with Air India! Just freaked out by the crash. Also, I have done a Fear of Flying course and have valium but neither have made a difference. Finally, although I am nervous and panicking, I do not disturb or inconvenience my fellow passengers! I'm not screaming and shouting, just very very scared and usually hold hands with the person on the opposite aisle. Never had any complaints. It's more that I am going to feel terrified for 4 hours. I have 3 kids - none are scared of flying. 2 older teens who don't need anything on the flight and 7 year old who DH looks after as I am mentally holding the plane up.

Thank you. I have got a prescription but unfortunately it doesn't help as the fear is in my head. It just makes me tired as well as petrified which is even worse in a way as I have to battle to stay alert. If there is no turbulence then I may be ok assuming we don't crash on take-off. Awful but the way the Air India plane crashed is literally my worst fear and exactly what I worry about!

Yes, 3 kids, 17, 15 and 7 but we have flown lots together and they know I am scared. They are not scared.

They did for me. Very low dose though but was able to get a higher mg dose when I was on holiday. Didn't work anyway.

Short answer: Boeing tried to spin it that if the crews had been on the ball enough to recognise the problem for what it arguably was - pitch trim runaway, they could have actioned the trim runaway procedure ( drill done from memory, it's usually a quick throw of one/two very handily positioned switches to cut electrics to the pitch trim system, and very importantly don't increase speed).

That should have solved the problem.

In defence of the crews no-one had told them about MCAS or trained them in the specifics of it's failure modes,(because that would have used up training time during type/sub-type qualification and airlines don't like that) and as we know the actual system itself was unreliable.

What is the latest on what caused the Air India crash? Surely they need to find out asap to make sure it doesn't happen again? Can't find any updates online.

In that case OP then it depends whether or not DH and the DCs are happy to go on holiday without you?

I completely understand you OP. The air India crash so crashing on take off is my biggest fear too. I fly several times a year and I wouldn’t say I am terrified, but very nervous and like you describe it very well ,I spend the flight mentally holding the plane up, making sure everything is ok. It’s irrational, I know the stats, but it doesn’t make a difference. I only go places which are within 2 hours flight now as anything else is too exhausting and I sort of just accept that. I have never told anyone about my fear so not even my DH and children know.
I also really want to know what the reason for the air india crash was.

I am also flying this week and will hate the take off part especially.

I watched the "Downfall" film, and what I took away from it was that Boeing assured the airlines that no further training would be needed to fly the new 737s, when they damn well knew it would be?

In the history of air disasters, I don't think any have had multiples all from the same airline.

It's not the airline itself thats the issue. It's the actual plane. Or something like bird strike which can happen to any aircraft.

It's much safer than driving in a car. When I feel nervous I look at the staff. How professional and calm they are. And think how many of these they do every single day. It does help!

The cause is still unknown and it will take some time before they will release the findings of any investigation, especially since Boeing is involved, and their habit of trying to influence crash investigations. However, I think you are flying Easyjet? They have an all Airbus fleet, which might provide you with a little relief. Models like the Airbus A320 which they use has been flying for over 37 years. Easyjet also has a very high safety record.

TBF I'm going to have to point out Boeing aren't alone promising that sort of thing, airlines wanting to upgrade fleets really look at the costs of transitioning crews, so if manufacturers,.any of them (Airbus, etc etc ) can simplify training packages they will the trick is not to trim packages too much.

I've never flown the 737 but I know some ex 737 pilots (and they are not Americans, not Boeing reps) think the accident crews maybe could have done better, but that yes, MCAS was a shoddy system and Boeing rightly have to shoulder the blame.

I used to be like you OP, didn't hit me until I had kids after being on a fair few flights when I was younger.

It's taken a lot of work (doesn't help that dp is an aviation nutter) but I came to realize that it's not the flying per se that worries me, it's because I have no control of my life for those few hours. Plane passengers submit to the pilots, the crew, the airport staff, air traffic control etc, I have literally no control over anything.

I started watching videos of pilots explaining landings and turbulence, and how many Fail-Safe systems planes now have to prevent anything going wrong - or if it does to land safely.

Accidents will always happen. Likewise in a car. The pilots and cabin crew are confident about their job just as I am when I get in my car.

I won't say I'm the most confident (and every bloody noise has me grabbing the arm rest) but I managed the Atlantic by myself last summer!

Go!

Apart from Malaysian Airlines I think, but that has to be chalked up to sheer misfortune. One plane mysteriously disappearing and one being shot down by pissed up Russian separatists are not related incidents.

EasyJet has never had an accident.

I'd be really wary of getting into the A vs B debate, or the merits of Easy (Airbus) vs Ryanair (Boeing)... both Easy and Ryanair have excellent safety records.

Anyone who knows their history also knows that in the early days of the A320 family there were quite a few allegations of Airbus interfering with investigations...

No. All the more reason to go - you have to face your (irrational) fear, not give into it. Planes are still the safest form of travel.