Anyone else think there are a inordinate number of plane crashes?

[JackBauer]

It just seems that every few days there is another crash/accident/near miss.
Has anyone else noticed this and thought it was weird or are DH adn I overthinking things?

i thought that too....maybe in being more paraniod because my mum is due to fly out to see me this evening....

I think it's probably due to the fact that there is now more air travel then there ever has been in the past.

I used to work for a newspaper, and the unofficial rule was plane crash or shark attack anywhere in the world gets on the front page - people just like reading about them.

I read somewhere there are about 70,000 commercial flights per day, so a reported near miss/crash every week or so wouldn't be statistically odd.

I haven't been on a plane since 1999 cos I don't trus the boggers.

Hmm, can see your points, but even though there is more air travel it is only the last few weeks there is another crash reported every few days.

Although I am flying soon with DD's so may well be extra paranoid!

Yep, even though there have been two crashes in the past 24 hours (hahahaha, 24, geddit Jack? ) there have been 69,998 flights that were perfectly uneventful.

It's just sexy news. Newspapers don't report, say, the daily death toll of people who die of smoking-related illnesses, which is obviously far, far, far higher.

yes, 24 doesn't help either. Everywhere I look I expecta terrorist to jump out at me with a bomb

That is what I wanted to hear BTW, everytime I hear of another crash DH starts making 'ooer' noises. The git.

I think all talk about plane crashes should be banned untill dd has been and come back from lourdes

or until my mum touches down safely in dubai tomorrow morning..........

Fair enough

or until I've returned from my holiday in a few weeks? we've got 6 flights over the next few weeks and DD has got 8.
I agree with OP though, it is a bit worrying that there seem to be so many more but understand what 9Dragons is saying.

Dh used to work on fighter jets in RAF and then on charter flights when he left,he has always said you are more likely to be hit by lightening or win the lottery than be in a plane crash.

Totally agree with ninedragons.

I thought this today. Wasn't too impressed to see footage of the Japanese plane crash being shown on the news this morning. Aside from the mawkishness of it I had to answer lots of worried questions from DD as a result.

I was thinking this a few minutes ago when i read about Tokyo. I blame the the financial situation - I reckon corners are being cut to save costs!

Pennies - I wasn't too impressed with that either - usuall put the TV on BBC at 8am to keep an eye on the time , yes there's sometimes some news and pictures I'd rather my DS's didn't see - but nothing too horrendous.

Thankfully DS2 was still eating his breakfast as they showed that plan crash and burst into flames - DS1 was watching it though and I wasn't happy - and I'm not someone who "sensors" the news for my DS but I was at them showing the impact.

As for number of crashes - think the've always been there, those boring of us to brwose through the regional section of the BBC News websites see them on a fairly regular basis, but most not "big" enough to make front page news....

I dunno, Freakonomics says that the saying that you are safer in a plane is not true, as if you calculate it down to hours travelled, so how many hours you spend in a plane compared to how long you spend in a car it comes out about equal in terms of danger.

I am prepared for the "freakonomics is bunk" article though....

im scared of flying and wish i wasnt as im desperate to travel and explore many places in this big wide world

'To put the dangers of air travel into context, throughout the world 3,300 people on average die every day in road accidents - the equivalent of eight full jumbo jets crashing every 24 hours'

Plane crashes don't happen at regular intervals - there will always be some "clusters" just by random chance. Also, I think the news does tend to jump on bandwagons and report things when there is a rash of them, when they might not report them at all otherwise.

I am trying to reassure myself as DP is flying this week... I don't like flying.

I was just commenting on this to DH last night!!!!

I don't suppose that me saying anything would reassure you all that flying is a very safe way to travel.

My dh is an aircraft inspector and it may surprise you to know how incredibly detailed the inspections are. If there is a slight knock to an aircraft which results in even a tiny scratch or minute dent/crease, then dh has to inspect the area and certify it either fit to fly or not. Using specialised electronic instruments he can even detect possible flaws that cannot be seen with the naked eye. I used to work as an Aircraft Buyer, and I was always very reassured by the level of expertise in the aircraft maintenance.

All aircraft have a regular schedule for maintenance and repairs, and anything that happens unexpectedly is dealt with straight away. In fact, he has just been called out to Manchester Airport.

Please try not to worry.