It’s only a little bit of turbulence — nothing to be concerned about, one aviation expert claims.
Longtime industrial pilot and San Jose State lecturer Scott Miller is out to appease travelers’ worries within the wake of what’s been three chaotic months of extremely public airline problems.
“I don’t see an increase within the incidents which can be occurring,” Miller told TV station KPIX on Sunday. “What I’m seeing is increased interest within the incidents which can be occurring.”
Last week was an awful one for United Airlines passengers, as a Japan-bound plane from San Francisco made an emergency landing in Los Angeles after a tire fell off during takeoff. On Friday, one other United flight rolled off its Houston runway — just weeks after an American Airlines plane skidded from a Rochester tarmac.
Also in Houston last week, a United flight had its engine catch fire before an emergency landing.
Specifically addressing the United incidents of the tire and the engine fire, Miller maintained that perspective should shift to the larger picture.
“Despite the fact that it appears United’s [had] a foul week, in point of fact, all the pieces is working at United Airlines because everyone seems to be capable of get back on the bottom in a single piece,” he said.
“The thing that’s much more striking to me than the actual incident itself is that these two rare incidents happened in close proximity of time,” Miller added.
Consumer behavior also seems to stay unfazed within the face of near catastrophe. A February poll found that 71% of Americans imagine air travel is either very or somewhat secure despite what have been several dramatic moments in the brand new yr.
Other episodes include a door plug blowing off a midair Alaska Airlines flight in January, which Miller believes spurred the recent attention on airline operations.
Also in January, a Japan Airlines flight burst into aggressive flames and collided with a Coast Guard jet. Five crew members of the Coast Guard flight were killed within the combustion.
A flight that very same month in Indonesia saw its pilots go to sleep in midair — the February poll saw 84% of individuals put their faith in safety in pilots’ capabilities.
In Boston, two JetBlue planes had a ground collision in February, and an early March Alaska Airlines flight had its cargo door — pets were reportedly inside — open as well.
One other significant incident occurred just Monday, when 50 were injured and bloodied on a Latest Zealand-bound Boeing jet that dramatically went right into a nosedive.
So far as US aviation goes, Miller boasts that we’re having fun with the “longest stretch of airline safety on this country,” spanning about twenty years. “Even with these incidents, I see that trend continuing.”