The Miracle of Asiana 214

Two dead, 182 injured, six in critical condition of 307 souls onboard. What happened yesterday, July 6, 2013 at San Francisco International Airport was truly a miracle. On short final, the Boeing 777 touched down short of the runway breaking apart. As of this hour, only two are confirmed dead and one missing. Out of so many people, yes, this is a miracle.

Unlike when the media used the term, “Miracle on the Hudson,” this miracle was not the result of a pilot’s skill, as in the case of Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger.  Instead, this miracle is due to the intellect, creativity, and the imagination of many engineers, technicians, and mechanics who designed and built the Boeing 777.

Today’s airplanes are miraculous in concept, design, and production. They are built with the idea of flying forever, but at the same time, if they are involved in a crash, there are design considerations incorporated by the engineers that make the craft as survivable as possible.

The public has little idea of the design features included in modern aircraft. They are unaware today’s airplanes are more survivable than at any previous time in the history of aviation. These changes have come from the tireless efforts of many investigators, engineers, and human factors specialists who spent inordinate amounts of time studying previous accidents. Their diligent work has made flying the safest mode of transportation in the history of time.

Many waking this morning have new fears about flying. What happened yesterday was horrific. There is no question about that. Unfortunately, the situation becomes more horrible by the hour with further news media coverage, coverage by reporters who know nothing about aviation (but believe they do) who are making incredibly ignorant statements about commercial aviation. They should stop the speculation and allow the authorities to determine what really happened. Then, once the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) publish their findings nine months to a year and a half from now, they can discuss and analyze actual facts. Until then, they should only report the event and facts as they happened.

The flying public, particularly those fearful of flying, need to realize that flying on an airliner in the United States is the safest mode of transportation. According to planecrashinfo.com, the odds of dying in an airline crash are one in 4.7 million. That is much better than driving – which puts individuals at a risk of 1.49 percent, or 1 in 67 of death by a car crash in their lifetime (National Safety Council).

As a driver, you should more leery of driving to the airport than of flying. The reason many drivers fear flying is their belief that they are not in control, which is true. In a car, they think they are in control, but in reality, they are not. A driver on the road has no control over the drinking driver who runs a red light resulting in a fatal crash. In the air, the traveling public has to place their trust, all of their trust, in the competence, knowledge, and skills of the flight crew.

Another aspect driving the fear of flying is the ability of the driver to “coast to the side of the road” if the car engine quits. In flying, handling an emergency situation is a little more serious. Though the public sometimes does not know it, flight crews do have options available to them equivalent to coasting to the side of the road. However, because the majority of the traveling public is ignorant of these procedures, they remain fearful.

If you are flying this week or soon, and you are fearful, please understand there are actions you can take to lessen your fears. Educating yourself is one of the best things you can do to alleviate your concerns. There are procedures you can employ to enhance your survival should a crash occur.

Keep a watch over my blog the next week or so – I will post some common sense procedures every airline passenger should keep in mind when flying on the airlines.

-30-

©2013 J. Clark

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2 Responses to The Miracle of Asiana 214

  1. Harrison says:

    Well said, Joe. Here’s another miracle for you. Rumor has it the airspeed went as low as 90 knots without stalling. If 1.3 vs was 137, that’s pretty impressive. Saw lots of nice pictures of the ugly green P dome hanging out the back of the fuselage. You know it’s a bad day when you exit the airplane through a ruptured P dome. You are entirely correct about the safety of flying and no one should hesitate to take their planned flights. Kudos to Boeing as well as the lovely and charming, beautiful and talented, flight attendants. Have to finish my homework now. I will not land short…I will not land short…I will not land short…I will not land short…

    • Joe Clark says:

      Thanks, Harrison. Wow – this is the first I have heard a number associated with the low airspeed. Up until your report, all I had heard was that, “It was considerably lower than reference.” You’re absolutely right – 90 knots without stalling is very impressive. I have always been, and always will be, impressed with Boeing aircraft. Much to the chagrin of some of my students, I keep repeating the mantra, “If it ain’t Boeing, I ain’t going!”

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