You will often hear people talk about how flying is much safer than driving. They may say something like, “Airplanes almost never crash in the United States.”
On one hand, people who say these things are right. Flying is certainly far safer than driving. However, plane crashes are much more common than many people realize, as statistics show that there are roughly 1,100 of them every year. This means that, on average, there are three plane crashes in the United States every single day.
Why doesn’t this get more attention?
The thing to keep in mind is that the vast majority of plane crashes do not involve commercial airliners. There are some incidents each year, but most of these crashes involve small planes.
Part of the reason for this is that hobby pilots often fly small planes, as do students. They do not have nearly as much experience or time in the air as commercial pilots. Accidents and mistakes are just more likely.
Additionally, small planes do not always have the same level of security or the same focus on maintenance. The regulations are very strict for commercial airliners, which is part of the reason that flying on an airliner is so much safer than driving. But standards may not be nearly as high with personally owned aircraft and other small planes, making them relatively more dangerous.
Have you been injured in a plane accident or lost a loved one in a fatal crash? When these aviation accidents occur, it is very important to know exactly what legal steps to take.