Revisited: Why Do Airplane Crashes Receive So Much Attention?
When a Boeing 737-800 MAX — which operated as Lion Air flight 610 to Pangkal Pinang — crashed into the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia approximately 35 nautical miles northeast of Jakarta shortly after taking off earlier this morning, Monday, October 29, 2018, the media was all over the story. Only six bodies of the 188 people aboard the aircraft — seven of them as members of the flight crew — have been recovered at the time this article was written; and the fairly new aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
An update to this fatal crash incident — of which the fear is that no one has survived — has been posted to the official Internet web site of Lion Air…
Lessons Learned From Food Allergy Tragedy Aboard an Airplane
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse was 15 years old when she tragically died in a hospital in France after suffering from an allergic reaction aboard an airplane operated by British Airways during a flight from London to Nice in July of 2016 — and an official inquest into how this fatality could have been prevented has concluded.
The daughter of Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse was eating a sandwich — the labeling of which gave no indication that the food was not free of sesame seeds, to which she is severely allergic.
“The Sept. 28 conclusions of…
Why I Was Unimpressed With the Airbus A350-900 Aircraft Operated by Delta Air Lines
While researching how I was going to travel from Atlanta to Amsterdam during a sale through which I was going to save on the amount of SkyMiles which I was required to redeem, I noticed that one of the options was to stop off in Detroit, from which the new flagship Airbus A350 would depart — and as I had never flown as a passenger on that aircraft which Delta Air Lines took delivery only last year, I…
What Two Errors Can You Find With This Lavatory Sign?
During a recent flight, when I went to use the lavatory aboard an airplane, it was occupied — so I bided my time by reading a sign which was affixed to the door of the lavatory…
…and I realized that the sign contains at least two errors on it. Can you spot what are those errors?
Even more embarrassing for the airline in question is that…
More Reports of In-Flight Sexual Assault Than Ever Before — and What You Can Do to Protect Yourself
If you think that you have been learning more about sexual assaults aboard airplanes in recent years, you would be correct. In fiscal year 2014, 38 cases of sexual assault during flights were reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States; and in the last fiscal year, 63 cases of sexual assault were reported, which represents an increase of almost 66 percent.
“It’s safe to say that many incidents occur that are not reported,” said…
Stupid Tip of the Day: Watch Carefully When Overhead Storage Bin is Opened
When a member of the flight crew says “please use caution when opening overhead bins, as items may have shifted during the flight” or “be careful when opening the overhead bins, as items may fall, and please, be sure to close them tightly” or some similar verbiage during the safety announcement, heed that warning by watching carefully if an overhead storage bin located above you is opened at any time.
A metal bottle fell and struck…
Windowless Airplane? I Still Say No Thanks
The advent of airplanes one day becoming windowless has again been mentioned since I first wrote this article on the topic back on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 — and my opinion is still unchanged.
Eliminating windows aboard airplanes can reduce the weight of the aircraft — which could translate into less fuel consumption — while simultaneously increasing its strength by eliminating weaknesses in the structure of the fuselage and resulting in airplanes possibly flying at faster speeds. Windows could be replaced with plastic display screens as one of several solutions.
However…
Overhead Light On During Overnight Flights
For many passengers, the opportunity to get some modicum of rest is while seated aboard an airplane during an overnight flight — and if those passengers are able to sleep despite conditions which are typically less than favorable, all the better…
…but when a person seated nearby decides to turn on the overhead light…
Was Pilot Justified for Demanding Conversing Passengers to Shut Up?
Imagine you and your colleague are seated in the premium class cabin on a flight which departed at approximately 10:30 in the evening — but was not a “red-eye” flight — and you are both engaged in a conversation with each other when a uniformed pilot sitting in a seat adjacent to you repeatedly tells you to shut up.
At the conclusion of the boarding process, a pilot in full uniform sat in one of the…
Brushing Teeth in an Airplane Lavatory
During a recent flight to Europe, I sat in my seat and noticed the line forming around the lavatory, as is usually the manner after the members of the flight crew remove the empty trays, wrappers, cups, and assorted food scraps from the tray tables of each passenger seated in the economy class cabin aboard the airplane.
Each person who used the lavatory consumed a few minutes before leaving so that the next person in line may use it.
One of the people who stood in this line was…
Recent Comments