This Is When Are Accidents Most Likely To Happen During A Flight

For nervous flyers, being on a plane can be a terrifying experience.

From your perspective, anything could go wrong at any time. That weird noise you just heard? It’s obviously a failing engine. The seat belt light’s gone on? Turbulence could mean disaster.

While we can’t take your nerves away completely, we can make you feel a whole lot better by educating you about what you really need to worry about – and what you don’t.

Statistically, flying is one of the safest ways to travel. There is a 0.1% chance of dying in an air or space transport accident. That’s one in 9,821.

According to new information from US aerospace firm Boeing, if an accident does happen it’s more likely to occur during certain parts of flights than others.

The company analysed commercial flights all over the world from 2007–2016, and discovered that a full 48% of fatal accidents occurred during a flight’s descent and landing. These accidents were the cause of 46% of on-board fatalities. This a huge number when you consider this portion of a plane’s journey accounts for a mere 4% of the total journey.

Comfortingly, only 11% of significant accidents happened while cruising, even though this stage of the journey accounts for 57% of total flight time.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, taking off and the initial climb to full height is the second most risky part of a flight, and accounted for 13% of fatal accidents. Of these, however, a tiny 6% resulted in on-board fatalities.

This means that apart from the first and last few minutes of a flight, you can relax while on board.

If you’re in a crash, there are ways to protect yourself. John Cheshire, a retired US airline pilot, said: ‘I count the number of seats between me and that exit. It only takes a quick glance.
‘I do this so if ever necessary, I can in the dark, or under water, or if there is smoke, or if upside down, I know beforehand where the exit is, and I can blindly count the number of seats by touch to reach that emergency exit row, because I have counted them. It’s quick and easy to do, every time.’
Other tips include listening for specific noises or watching out for certain smells, and sitting in different places on a plane – sitting at the back, for instance, means you might be marginally safer in an incident but also means you’ll feel turbulence more, so isn’t recommended if you’re a nervous flyer.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.