Pilots offer passengers reassurance about flight safety after deadly crashes
After 67 people were killed in the recent mid-air collision near DC's Regan National Airport, marking the deadliest US aviation disaster in decades, safety has been top of mind for some people.
Some pilots have made a point of reassuring passengers they are in safe hands before taking off. Many of them heard in videos that are making their rounds on social media. In one video, the passenger captioned it, "The American Airlines captain just said the exact words that I (and everyone else) needed to hear."
"I've seen some of those videos, I think they're touching, and I think overall, they do help," said Scott Miller, an assistant professor of aviation and a commercial airline pilot with more than 20 years of experience. "I've been stopped a couple of times in the airport concourses or TSA lines, people asking me what did I think, and ultimately, getting to the question – 'Is it safe to be flying right now?'"
The answer he gives drawing on his 20+ years of experience in aviation is yes.
"There's not just one thing that went wrong. There may be one thing that stands out above all others, but there is always going to be a number of things that lined up to allow this accident to occur," he said.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. The latest information revealed the American Airlines plane did make a sudden upward turn just before the collision with the Army Blackhawk helicopter, which may indicate the pilots tried to maneuver the plane away from trouble at the last second. Investigators also say the helicopter was flying higher than its authorized altitude.
"To find out that this particular Blackhawk involved in the accident was equipped with a combined cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder is huge," Miller said. "Once we learn what's happening with this accident – those factors, how they lined up – it'll make air travel even safer."
He says the tragic incident fuels those in aviation to ensure their passengers are safe.
"Not just the pilots that are operating the aircraft – the flight attendants, the mechanics, the agents that are boarding the flight – we have a passion for what we do," he said. "There's a satisfaction that we get from getting people where they need to go safely, efficiently, and on time, and things like this actually increase that passion to make sure that we're doing everything that we can to limit the risks and keep the operation as safe as possible."