Study: Passenger Confidence Soars If Pilot's Accent Is 'Southern Californian'

(CBS Local/CBSLA) -- More than half of all Americans say they feel confident when they hear an airline pilot speak with a Southern California accent - whatever that is.

Overall, 54 percent of people say a pilot's accent affects their confidence in his or her ability, according to a new survey.

The survey of 4,207 Americans, all of whom had flown at least once in the previous 12 months, was conducted by Jetcost, a site that searches and compares prices for flights, hotels and car rentals.

If the pilot sounds like he's from SoCal - think "The Californians" from TV's "Saturday Night Live" - nearly 60 percent say they're more likely to trust the pilot.

And wouldn't you know, passengers trust Midwestern pilots more than those with Southern accents,  according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

Given a range of English-speaking accents to choose from, they were asked which accents, if any, would fill them with the least confidence.

The five least confidence-inspiring accents:
Texan – 65 percent
New York – 59 percent
General American – 54 percent
Central Canadian – 45 percent
Southwestern U.S. – 37 percent

The five most confidence-inspiring accents:
Upper Midwestern – 63 percent
Southern Californian – 58 percent
Great Lakes – 51 percent
British – 47 percent
Eastern New England – 39 percent