The era of civil aviation has almost a century of history. During this period of time, people from all countries and continents have appreciated all the advantages that aircraft have. Indeed, thanks to air carriers, it was possible to make travel long distances accessible and cover thousands of kilometers in a short period of time. But, as usual, this barrel of honey has its own drop of tar. Such travels at all times have been associated with a certain degree of risk, and people using the services of various airlines have always feared to become unwitting participants in plane crashes and fatal plane crashes.
However, today air travel is considered the safest form of travel. However, as we know from official reports, plane crashes happen in our 21st century. When scientific and technological progress has reached unprecedented heights, planes with people on board continue to fall.
Airplane crash statistics
In terms of the number of plane crashes that occurred around the world from 1945 to March 2012, the top three were the United States (784 cases), Russia (326 cases) and Canada. There, over the specified period of time, 177 plane crashes were recorded.
All fewer air accidents have occurred in Argentina and Nigeria. In these countries during the same time there were 40 and 38 plane crashes. These facts speak only of those plane crashes in which there are human casualties. Aircraft crashes where there were no casualties among passengers, these statistics do not take into account.
Events preceding the occurrence of an emergency during flight
The design of a modern airliner and its onboard multistage control system minimize possible emergency situations on board the aircraft. But a disaster in the air and an aircraft crash can be caused by unfavorable weather conditions or improper operation of ground services regulating the movement of air transport, as well as mistakes made by technicians when servicing aviation equipment on the ground.
Incorrect actions of the crew or mistakes during piloting can also lead to an imminent plane crash. All this together is called the human factor. It is he who often becomes the invisible companion of plane crashes or fatal accidents.
Violations of the regulations during the preventive inspection of the main components and assemblies of the aircraft or the installation of low-quality components during the maintenance of air transport are the main reasons for the failure of various systems. This entails the occurrence of an emergency during the flight, which may result in a plane crash.
In order to reduce the influence of the human factor, as a result of which the structural elements of the aircraft hull, engines and mechanisms of the control system may be damaged, the Ministry of Transport in 2014 tightened the procedure for certification of pilots and their admission to work in civil aviation. Also, control over the actions of technical personnel serving aviation equipment was strengthened.
As practice shows, most air crashes occur during takeoff or landing of an aircraft. During the flight, when the plane has already gained the required altitude and is on a given course, collisions of aircraft or the ingress of foreign objects into the engines are not excluded. Both of these phenomena, although rare, have nevertheless already taken place. And they are also included in the list of common causes of plane crashes.
The loudest plane crashes and their causes
A striking example of how the notorious human factor became the cause of the plane crash is the crash of the Yak-42 plane, which took place on September 7, 2011 at the Tunoshna airport in the city of Yaroslavl. It is worth recalling that the Yaroslavl hockey team Lokomotiv and its coaching staff died in that plane crash. After an investigation and analysis of the crew's negotiations, it was established that the plane crash was due to uncoordinated actions of the crew during takeoff.
The plane crash that happened on the night of July 2, 2002 over Germany also caused a great resonance. Then, over Lake Constance near the German city of Uberlingen, a Russian passenger plane TU-154 of Bashkir Airlines and a cargo Boeing-757, which provides international cargo transportation, collided in the air. In that crash, 71 people died, including 52 children, whom their parents sent on vacation to Spain.
The investigation and study of materials on this plane crash took a long time and the conclusions were very controversial. The Swiss air traffic control officers tried to shift the responsibility onto the Russian pilots, who, in their opinion, did not understand their commands in English. As a result, the Swiss air traffic controllers, who were absent from their workplaces at that time, were themselves found guilty of this plane crash and the death of people.
As a rule, it is not just one factor that leads to a plane crash, but a whole series of events that have caused irreversible processes in flight safety. And such a chain of tragic accidents remains the main cause of plane crashes so far.
