Everybody tells you that flying is statistically safer than almost any other mode of transport. But is this true? YES IT IS! As proof, here are a few statistics and charts;
- A US National Safety Council study showed flying to be 22 times safer than travelling by car
- 21,000 people (on average) die on the road in the US in a 6-month period. This is approximately the same amount of all commercial air travel fatalities WORLDWIDE in 40 years
- More than 3million people fly EVERY DAY.
- A Boeing aircraft takes off or lands every 2 seconds somewhere in the world – all day, every day!
Below is a chart showing a direct comparison between different modes of transport in the US. As you can see, more people died while riding a bike than on an airliner. These statistics are from 2000;
US Transportation Fatalities 2000 – Source: NTSB
This next chart shows a comparison betweeen the number of airplane accidents and the actual number of departures. You can see how safety has dramatically improved since the early days. This graphic comes from the Boeing Website.
Why Am I Still Nervous?
Many of you will look at these facts, but still believe flying to be unsafe. Despite me telling you that 1 plane in 5 million crashes, the only number you can focus on is the 1.
Try to start analysing risk in everything you do. There is a risk when you cross the road, walk up the stairs, drive a car, or any other activity. Why does flying seem like more of a risk than any of these things?
The answer is usually related to the feeling of having no control. The fear of flying is an emotional response, and it’s this that must be changed.
An expert in dealing with changing your emotional response is Tom Bunn and his SOAR Fear of Flying Program.
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I read where if you lose the engines you can glide 30 minutes however what happens when you are over the Atlantic or Pacific?
Yes, 30 minutes is the approx time an aircraft at cruising altitude can ‘glide’ before landing. But, on transatlantic routes an aircraft is often more than 30 mins away from an airport.
Firstly, it is important to concentrate on how unlikely it is for an aircraft to lose ALL engines. Jet engines are incredibly reliable, and rarely fail. So, for more than one engine to do so is almost impossible!
There are stringent rules regarding which planes are permitted to cross the Atlantic regarding maintenance checks and suchlike. Therefore, aircraft that operate transatlantic routes are possibly the safest.
If, however, in the HIGHLY UNLIKELY event of complete engine failure over the Atlantic the aircraft can land on water – and is designed to do so.
There are plenty of examples of aircraft landing safely on water, the most recent of which is the ‘ditching’ of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in New York. Despite claims that the Captain performed a miracle landing, ALL pilots are trained in how to ditch an aircraft. Only a tiny minority will ever have to utilise that training though.
In summary, it is VERY rare to lose all engine power, and if it does the aircraft can land perfectly safely on water.
you can glide for 30 mins depending what aircraft your on, but if your over water , see ya xx
hope this helps. stick to europe..
Craig….
This is NOT true, and not very helpful either!
Hello,
I became a fearful flyer over the years even though I have flown countless times far distances. Somehow hearing that flying is the safest mode of transportation isn’t enough for me: i need proof. And when I say proof, I mean not biased statistics from Boeing counting fatalities per “passenger miles”. Another example of not convincing stats are the ones presented up above on this web page. It says that more people died in car accidents each year that on plane accidents but of course they don’t mention that so many more people use cars than planes everyday. What would be interesting is to present stats comparing accidents proportionally. For instance, out of all the trips done by car each year (and I bet its more that the number of flights) how many fatal accidents? and out of all the commercial flights per year how many accidents. If you go on wikipedia they present some stats from the english department of transportation showing that on a per trip basis, air travel is less safe than driving.
Hey there, i do understand the facts, and i trust them, i know numbers work. Even though, my grandfather was in the RAF, all those times and hours he spent flying, not once did he have a hiccup, not once has my uncle ever had a problem, and he flies on a weekly, commercial basis, never has any of my family EVER had a problem with flying. Im 17, i watch TV, i blame Air Crash Investigation tbh.
i think the fear of flying is your chances of survival in case of an incident. I would be interested in seeing the statistics of number of automobile crashes:fatality rate vs commercial airline crash:fatality rate.
It’s not so much plane malfunction that worries me, it’s all the idiot foreign suicide bombers out there. I don’t trust that the security is up to par. All the US marshalls in the world can’t stop a bomb on board. There is WAY too much that slips through the cracks.
I don’t think the people commenting on here with a negative attitude is doing anyone any favours. What is the point in actually locating this website, just to comment on it when you have no interest in it at all anyway.
Get a life.
I agree, I think that the negativity is coming from people who obviously have no problem with flying and don’t really care if other people do.This is a fantastic website, thank you, been after something like this for a while. I miss enjoying a flight and really want to again.
Why is that ‘anon” because you don’t like people to talk? Maybe you should get a life and let people live ahole.
Anywayz, I for one feel flying is so much not safer than driving. If you take that driving is say 60 times more dangerous than planes, but then that people drive 95% of the time more than planes, it starts to put a hole in the ‘planes are safer’ argument. Also, I have been in 3 big car crashes in my life and survived every single one of them. There is not a person on earth that has lived through 3 big plane crashes. In a car you have crumple zones, air bags, shatterproof glass, protected fuel tank. On a plane you have a rinky dink seat belt and ton of explosive fuel on board along with a airframe created to be strong, but not tough to survive a good crash and protect the occupants, they literally just disintegrate.
Please stop telling people flying is safe, cause in reality it really isn’t all that safe. At least with other modes of transportation you can have a good chance of surviving, but when at 30K feet and 400mph and a problem happens and the plane starts plummeting, its pretty easy to see how it will end.
Hi C,
So, you have survived 3 big car crashes?! How many plane crashes have you experieinced? I’m guessing zero as it’s very rare when it happens. I have never pretended that flying is 100% safe – but that’s because NOTHING IS.
Statistics show that 80% survive plane crashes when they do happen and I have never heard of anyone who’s been involved in more than one. So, your argument is flawed, and by mentioning the 3 serious car crashes you have been involved in you are merely backing up that flying is safer.
I operate approx 40 flights per month and have been doing so for 5 years and never had a serious problem. Further to this I have not once felt unsafe as I can see how safety is always the number 1 priority.
So, take your misguided opinions elsewhere and stop trying to upset those that have come here for genuine advice on overcoming the fear of flying. If you choose not to fly, that’s your problem.
C! It is all very well saying flying isnt safe and a very dangerous means of transportation. I for one am terrified of flying. I dose myself up on zanex, breathe into a paper bag and hyper ventilate the entire journey! I hate my fear so much! however I love to go on holiday and am looking to overcome this fear. By claiming flying is not safe you are sharing an unnecessary opinion to people who visit this site to help beat their fears. Many people are afraid of mice, spiders and even walking outside their home..you may say this is an irrational fear, however that person who suffers from a different anxiety may think your stupid for your fear of flying. You have survived three big car crashes, well I would think yourself very lucky, but you failed to say how many plane crashes you had been in???…Yes people drive everyday, but pilots are specially trained, not taking a test to see if their Nissan micra is parked correctly and the different colors of the traffic lights. People visit this site to overcome their fears, they are realistic that overcoming flying and taking the risk would be more beneficial to their lives as opposed to criticizing and sitting on their arse not going anywhere. And if by chance you do fly and do travel I would suggest you take you worthless opinions elsewhere! Thankyou…
I also hate flying, i go through the same emotions everytime i get on a plane – and i have to fly a lot around the world for business. I get on, try to think positively but after a while i start looking out the window and wondering ‘what if’…etc. I recently took up flying lessons (yeah i know, crazy all things considered) in an effort to combat my fear of flying and to learn what is actually happening when a plane takes off and lands. It is really helping, and understanding how aircraft gets in the air and more importantly, stays there, really does help. When all is said and done, passenger planes are VERY safe and so technologically advanced now that they have systems to cope with pretty much every eventuality. Yes crashes to occur, but this statistic should put things into comparison…2.3 BILLION people flew safely in 2009, out of a total of 35 MILLION flights worldwide, only 18 resulted in fatal accidents. You literally have a greater chance of being kicked to death by a donkey…true!
Hi, I’m 27 flew once when I was a child to AZ and just flew to Las Vegas this month and
am planning to revisit in November. I went to the dr got Xanax and prayed the whole time, banking terrifies me and I just would like to know where you got the statistic for 2009? My dad used to be a mechanic for American Airlines and tells me it’s completly safe, however the idea of flying again in November literally makes me stomach turn. I would like to overcome this fear very much so. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi
The whole point of a fear of flying is that it is irrational. I know I have more chance of winning the lottery than being in a plane crash but I am still afraid. I do fly on average 20 times a year for work and I have stopped flying for pleasure. I have never had any sort of incident or even encountered turbulance which proves even more so that I have a fear/phobia and it is directed at flying (if you know what I mean) I am going to attend the fear of flying course run by BA, I have heard some fantastic reports and people really have completely overcome any fears they had.
Jane
Hi Jane,
I’m aware that those with a more severe fear of flying have an irrational fear, and that statistics won’t necessarily help you a lot. However, there are many travellers with a mild anxiety about flying that need these statistics to help reassure them that it is safe to get on a plane.
If you read this site you’ll find that I fully admit that I can only offer a certain level of help. Those with more severe phobias are recommended to order either the TakeOff Today Program or the SOAR Fear of Flying Course.
Please feel free to share your story once you have completed the BA course. You’ll find that the start of the course will feature the information on this website (i.e. how flying works, why it is safe, and who is looking after your safety) before moving on.
Do they offer a guaranteed course? The SOAR Course is the only one I’ve seen that offers full refunds if the participant does not overcome their fear.
well im going mallorca in 3 weeks and it is a 2 hour flight and im flying with ryanair i have been told some nasty stories, help…….
thankyou
I’m not sure what stories you have heard (feel free to email me with more details), but Ryanair have never experienced a fatal accident in their history. They are a huge, reputable airline with a good safety record. Customer service may not be the best tho!
thankyou
You’re welcome. Enjoy your flight.
Hello,
I first would like to state thank you for creating this website; And that I also do not have a phobia of flying, just a mild anxeity (something about being 30,000 feet in the air creeps me out.) But I found this and other sites to be helpful. People who come on to these sites to bash the statistics and other facts just have fears themselves and have no means to overcome them. Thanks for creating this site!
-Rob
Thanks for your kind words Rob
Thanks for this website. I have been hypnotised and was on valium last year, but neither worked, i used to love flying and i try to sit there and think rationally but for some reason it doesnt help. im the sort who sits there listening to every noise of the engine thinking theres something wrong and panics, i tell my husband that he has to get someone quick to tell me its ok but this still doesnt work!
Hello great site, im about to get on an Air Asia Flight from KL Malaysia to London. When i was on a plane going to kl from london, i was over the Bay of Bengal and the plane really felt like it suddenly fell out the air and a guy who had a coffee in his hand next to me spilled it everywhere. Although we laughed about it after, i have a fear of flying and the experience really shook me up. My fear unfortunately is getting worse. I heard interesting stat about turbulence that i thought was quite interesting. Is it true that even if turbulence feels really bad for the passenger the plane hardly reads it at all, and what feels like a 1000 meter drop is nothing like the reality?
Thanks for the website your doing a really good thing
olly
You are completely correct, the aircraft never moves as much as you think it is. In fact, if you were flying next to the aircraft you probably wouldn’t even be able to tell it was experiencing turbulence.
If you compare it to speed bumps in the road it makes more sense. If you drive too fast over one, you are thrown about inside your car. In fact, if you are going fast enough you will leave your seat completely. The speed bump is tiny in comparison to the size of your car, but it feels huge when you are being thrown around your car!
The same applies on an aircraft. Turbulence is bumpy air, but you are travelling at 500mph through it. The reason it feels worse is the fact you are not part of the aircraft, but travelling inside it. Therefore when the aircraft drops a few inches, it will move a split second before you. This results in a feeling of falling a lot further than you actually are.
On my turbulence mini course page there is a video on turbulence that shows how little the altimeter (which measures the planes altitude) barely moves at all during turbulence. Click here to see it.
Hope that helps, and thank you for your kind words. Enjoy your flight. Let us know how you get on.