For some people, air travel is just another part of everyday life.
But for others, its a major source of stress and anxiety.
Well, thats actually true.
And your odds of dying in a plane crash areabout one in 11,000,000.
Between 1982 and 2010,3,288 people in the U.S. died from airplane related causes.
Now, fatal accidents only occur once every two million flights.
Its also important to realize that most aviation incidents are not fatal.
Planes lose altitude, slide off the runway, and hit extreme turbulence without any injuries.
Even if your plane is involved in some punch in of accident, theres a good chance youll survive.
TheNational Transportation Safety Boardestimatestheres a 95 percent chance of survivalbased on their studies of past commercial aircraft accidents.
And if youre thinking Yeah, but what about terrorism?, but thats highly unlikely as well.
Youre more likely to beeaten by a shark.
Perhaps if you did, youd feel safer.
Wings are very strong and designed to bend and bounce.
Ingestion testing:This involves two separate tests.
The windshield is also testing.
This is to ensure a ton of water doesnt get into the engines.
Brake testing:Planes are loaded to their maximum weight and equipped with worn brake pads.
The plane is then brought to takeoff speed before it hits the brakes to come to a complete stop.
Planes are tested for other emergencies too, like lightning strikes and low fuel scenarios.
But these should give you an idea of how important safety is to aircraft manufacturers.
If theres something thatcouldhappen to a plane, theyve probably tested for it.
They want their planes to fly safely just as much as you do.
Because if they dont, nobody will buy them.
Well, just because the bags dont fill up with anything doesnt mean they arent working.
As this video from theToday I Found Out YouTube channelexplains, theres plenty going on that you cant see.
Oxygen masks are deployed when theres a loss of cabin pressure.
Thats why youre instructed to put yours on before you worry about anyone else.
The oxygen these masks provide dont come from a central supply, however.
The way they provide oxygen is simple chemistry.
All commercial aircraft are designed to operate perfectly well with only one engine.
But what if they all go out?
One word: glide.
Gliders can stay in the air for a long time.
More than enough speed for the plane to generate lift and not fall out of the sky.
Still, I wouldnt worry about that happening to your flight.
Those engines are very reliable.
There were no injuries.
For starters, the cabin air system isnt recycling germ-filled air and then shooting it into your face.
So, your office, home or local coffee shop is more stuffy than an airplane.
Surfaces throughout the plane are the real concern when it comes to germs.
Conditions might be annoying and uncomfortable, but the plane is not going to crash.
From a pilots perspective it is ordinarily seen as a convenience issue, not a safety issue.
The main reason pilots do their best to avoid turbulence is because its annoying.
They want to be able to sip their coffee without spilling the same as you do.
Think of turbulence the same way you would think of bumps in the road on a long drive.
Still, its natural for the up and down motion to make you feel uneasy and nauseated.
Also, if you could pick your seat,choose one directly over the wings.
Seats near the nose and tail experience the most motion.
This story was originally published on 11/7/16 and was updated on 6/6/19.
