In May 2024 one man died and several passengers were badly injured on a Singapore Airlines flight which had a sudden drop in mid-air during meal time.
Passengers and crew who were not wearing seat belts were thrown into the air and/or hit their heads or were injured when they were flung down.
I have flown on Singapore Airlines many times. So have the rest of my family. We have always considered it one of the safest airlines.
My husband, who is a statistician, says, air travel has so few accidents per passenger mile that it's hard to compare one airline with another.
However, Singapore Airlines, don't skimp on maintenance. So we are not looking at faulty maintenance or fake parts causing an accident waiting to happen.
Non profitable airlines from other coutnries might do so. Some airlines were in the past banned from European airports and only gradually allowed back in.
American Caution
I recall a discussion back in the late 1990s. An American woman in Singapore told us that her husband who worked in the airline industry isnisted that his own family only flew to Asia on an American airline.
So, assuming you trust the airline, and the weather forecast, what can you do to help yourself in the case of the unexpected?
Types Of Aircraft
I used to worry about two engine planes. I wanted to fly in a four engine plane. But even if you check which kind of aircraft you are flying on, the airline can switch at the last moment. If the plane is late or develops trouble, you could be given a seat on another airline.
At busy times of year, such as Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Easter, and school summer holidays, airlines and package tours may need more seats and planes. So they hire planes from companies which specialise in renting out aircraft.
What Can You Control?
We are not looking at a worst case scenario of an unsurvivable crash into the side of a moutain in zero visibiity in thick fog.
We are looking at a survivable accident. In that situation, we want ourselves, our loved ones, our fellow passengers, and the crew, to have maximum chances of avoiding avoidable injury.
What Can Be Done?
You could decide not to fly. Or not to fly in bad weather. But some people say, if you avoid rains, or monsoons, you would be unable to fly for months of the year. Airlines are going to cease flying if they are sure the weather is making take-off impossible. But no airline hoping to be profitable and providing a national service wants to be cancelling flights for an entire season.
Nervous Flers
What about cancellation? You may have to pay a premium if you decide not to fly when the plane is still going to fly. You might consider that worthwhile, if you are nervous, or one of your family is likely to have a panic attack. A friend of mine had a daughter who had a panic attack so all three of them, the girl and her parents, had to get off the plane. He complained that it was a long time before he got compensation from the insurance company for the three expensive flights.
What can you do to reduce your chances of being injured during a flight during turbulence and/or a plane's sudden descent caused by winds, turbulence, whatever?
Precautions Before You fly
Be insured.
Know you flight arrival time. You might or gain or lose a day. Check losing an hour or gaining an hour when changing planes.
Wear flat shoes because you don't want to have to run in heels and you have to remove heels when sliding down inflatable chutes into the plane's lifeboats.
Precautions to take when flying
Go to the toilet before boarding to avoid standing in long queues.
Try to limit alcohol and water so you don't need the loo a lot.
Keep your seatbelt on, even when lying down.
Stay seated. Don't walk around to eercise. You can do exercises whilst sitting.
| Description | Controlled Impact Demonstration instrumented test dummies installed in plane |
| Date | |
| Source | http://www1.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/CID/HTML/ECN-28307.html |
| Author | NASA photo (ID: ECN-28307) |
I am now reconsidering whether carry on luggage should be soft sided and without wheels, in case it falls out of the overhead locker.
Maybe planes should be redesigned, so that luggage is not overhead.
Useful Websites
https://www.wpr.org/news/what-might-have-caused-the-helicopter-crash-that-killed-irans-president
See my later post
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2024/05/airlines-and-turbulence-what-changes.html
Please share links to your favourite and useful posts.
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