I’m not the worlds best when it comes to flying. It seems an entirely unnatural way to get about and I’m always slightly uneasy at putting my life in the hands of people who wear uniforms with gold braiding. Of course I know that per passenger the risks of flying are lower than when I get in my car of a morning but still I have this nagging doubt.
Reading the reports from various air transport safety bureau doesn’t help matters,not the crashes of course,they are rare and statistically unlikely. It’s the near misses that really worry you. Like this one from Australia.
The Airbus A340 had a narrow escape at takeoff,it did make it into the air but not before it had pounded the runway with it’s tail three times,overshot the runway and caused damage to the end of the runway. The plane dumped its fuel before circling back and landing. The damage to the plane was quite serious but thankfully that was all that was damaged.
The cause? When planning the flight the pilots used the usual computer program to decide how to take off but unfortunately when it came to the weight of the aircraft they entered 262 tonnes not the actual weight of 362 tonnes and this wasn’t picked up by either the pilot or co-pilot. Consequently they set off with not nearly enough engine power to lift off and only their remedial action halfway down the runway saved them from a far worse accident.
So now you know,your life depends on the keyboard entry skills of a man in uniform and the checking skills of his colleague. I think I’ll stick to the ground.
