(2 of 7)
Despite the hazards that Lufthansa faces daily, it has a safety record comparable to that of U.S. carriers, judged over the years. So do Finnair, Air France and SAS. Americans should also feel safe flying north of the border. Air Canada is considered one of the most professional airlines in business.
In large part, the vast improvement in air safety was brought about by the same factor that created the vast increase in air travel: the development of the jet airliner. Flying in a modern jet is ten times as safe as flying in the noisier and slower piston-en-gined aircraft of the mid-'50s. Over the years, airframes have become sturdier and engines not only much more powerful but much more reliable. The FAA, the manufacturers and the airlines poured millions into developing better flight control equipment—sophisticated radars and navigation aids. Military innovations were adopted for commercial use. The FAA steadily tightened flight regulations, prescribing in minute detail how and where planes should fly, how they should be controlled from the ground.
In recent years, commercial aviation has evolved into a highly integrated system aimed at eliminating human error and demanding perfection from both the planes that fly and the avionics that monitor them from the ground.
THE PLANES. Today's jet is a marvel of engineering and safety. Based on actuarial records for new aircraft, Lloyd's of London had expected the Boeing 747 to have at least two fatal accidents during its first two years. But only one commercial crash has occurred since the jet was introduced in 1970—in Nairobi in 1974—and that was because the Lufthansa pilot did not extend the proper wing flaps while taking off. The 747 was blameless, of course, for the catastrophe at Tenerife. Leaving aside Nairobi and Tenerife, a total of 297 of these jets, operated by 44 carriers, have flown 360 billion passenger-miles without fatalities.
The 747 is packed with intricate warning devices—one now sounds the alarm if the proper wing flaps are not extended on takeoff—and every major control system has backups in case it should fail. Pilots wax eloquent about the aircraft they fondly call "Fat Albert." Says one Delta captain: "Old Albert is straightforward and honest on the ground and in the air. I've got about 200,000 Ibs. of thrust on four little levers. You've got to be careful because you can blow a hangar off the ground. Another thing, you've got 350 tons of momentum when you're taxiing, and you don't go cowboying around. But once it's airborne, it's an absolutely superb flying machine." Former FAA Administrator Elwood R. ("Pete") Quesada insists that "the 747 is the safest and most reliable air transportation yet designed by man."