Flysikkerhet og 2016 - Det nest beste året noen sinne - Curt Lewis

2016 Was One of the Safest Years in Aviation History

Despite a series of high-profile crashes, this was actually one of the safest years to date.

The memory of the Colombia plane crash that claimed 71 lives, including most of a Brazilian soccer team, is still fresh in our minds-enough that to say this year was one of the safest in modern aviation history almost seems gaudy. But the numbers don't lie: According to the Aviation Safety Network, a crash­data website funded by the Flight Safety Foundation (an international and independent nonprofit organization that tracks crash data), 18 civilian airplane accidents accounted for 320 deaths worldwide in 2016. The only year with fewer deaths was 2013, as The Telegraph reported, with 265.

The good news? Global air travel continues to get safer, in part thanks to tech upgrades to
airplanes, better safety procedures, and increased collaboration among nations to improve
aviation infrastructure in developing countries. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
credits these changes to the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, a government­industry co­op
formed in 1998, tasked with reducing the commercial aviation fatality rate in the United
States by 80 percent by 2008. (They broke their own goal, dropping rates to 83 percent.)
We shouldn't just look at the number of crashes or deaths-the number of passengers flying
each year matters, too: In 1970, when the World Bank started tracking the movement of
people by air, 310 million passengers took commercial flights worldwide. In 2016, that figure
should exceed 3.5 billion.

Good news for fliers: The overall rate of commercial flight crashes is dropping.
In 1970, when the World Bank started tracking the movement of people by air,
310 million passengers took commercial flights worldwide. In 2016, that
figure exceeded 3.5 billion.

Factoring in this staggering growth, the odds of dying in a crash have been on the decline.
This year, the rate of plane­crash fatalities was just one out of every 10,937,500 passengers. The only year with slightly safer odds was-again -2013, when it was one out every 11,501,886 passengers.
These numbers are based on commercial (non­military) planes certified to carry 14 or more passengers. One variable that can dramatically skew a year's safety record is sabotage-a hijacking, a suicidal pilot, an attack by artillery. Aviation Safety Network's database offers two separate data points each year, with and without those outliers. If the security events are tossed out, 2015 was actually the safest year, with
just 186 deaths. But the Germanwings crash (the plane was intentionally brought down by the captain) in March 2015 and the Metrojet crash (brought down by a bomb) in October of that year raised the total air travel deaths to 560.

Never have there been more people in the sky, and yet there were fewer deaths in the 2000s than in all previous decades in modern aviation history. Even the 691 lost lives on commercial jets in 2014-a year riddled with high­profile crashes, including AirAsia, Air Algerie, and two Malaysia Airlines Ljights-pales in comparison to every year in the 1970s. Every year in that decade saw more than 1,000 plane­crash
casualties, with 1972 being the deadliest year, claiming 2,373 lives.

While a year will occasionally spike in the charts, the overall rate of crashes and death by commercial flight is trending downward. As governments continue to collaborate on improving safety standards and as airlines across the globe take delivery of new aircraft with better technology, the forecast calls for continually improving safety in the skies. Bring it on, 2017.

Here is a recap of the major air mishaps which claimed the lives of many passengers.

25 December 2016 - Russian Air Force; Tu154B-2; RA-85572; near Sochi, Russia:

The aircraft was on an unscheduled international flight from Sochi, Russia to Latakia, Syria. The aircraft, which was transporting members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the official choir of the Russian Armed forces, crashed into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff. Wreckage was found about one mile (1.6 km) from the coast. All eight crew members and 84 passengers were killed.

20 December 2016 - AeroSucre 727-200; HK-4544, flight LMI2933; near Puerto Carreño, Colombia

The aircraft was on a nonscheduled domestic cargo flight from Puerto Carreño to Bogotá, Colombia. Just after takeoff, the aircraft crossed a road that was about 100 meters beyond the end of the runway, apparently hitting at least one fence and dragging the rear part of the aircraft on the ground. The aircraft became airborne, but did not gain a significant amount of altitude. The aircraft was videotaped making a descending right turn just before it crashed and caught fire. The crash site was about 10 miles (16 km) from the airport. Five of the six crew members were killed.

7 December 2016 - Pakistan International Airlines ; ATR 42-500; AP-BHO; flight PK661; near Havelian, Pakistan

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Chitral to Islamabad, Pakistan. While en route, the crew reported that there was an engine problem, and that the aircraft was descending. Shortly afterwards, the crew declared an emergency. The aircraft crashed into a hillside and caught fire. All five crew members and 42 passengers were killed.

28 November 2016 - LaMia Avro RJ85; CP-2933, flight LMI2933; near La Unión, Colombia

The aircraft was on a nonscheduled international flight from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia to Medellín, Colombia. On board was Brazilian Chapecoense Football Club, which was scheduled to play in the final of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana in Medellín.

28 October 2016 - FedEx Express DC-10; N370FE: Flight FX910; Fort Lauderdale, FL

The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Memphis, TN to Fort Lauderdale, FL. At some point during the landing, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft came to rest near the landing runway. A fire broke out, seriously damaging the left side of the aircraft. The two crew members were not injured.

28 October 2016; American Airlines 767-300; N345AN; flight AAL383; Chicago, IL

The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Chicago, IL to Miami, FL. During the takeoff, the right engine experienced an uncontained failure, and the flight crew aborted the takeoff. The aircraft caught fire in the area of the right engine, and the aircaft occupants evacuated the aircraft. There were eight minor injuries among the 161 passengers and nine crew members.

27 October 2016; Eastern Airlines 737-700; N278EA; New York, NY

The aircraft was on an unscheduled domestic charter flight from Fort Dodge, IA to LaGuardia Airport in New York. After landing, the crew was unable to come to a stop on the runway. The aircraft was slowed by an arrestor bed of low-density concrete that was in place beyond the end of the runway.

3 August 2016; Emirates 777-300; A6-EMW; flight EK521; Dubai, UAE

The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Thiruvananthapuram, India to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The crew was attempting to execute a go-around shortly after the main landing gear touched down on the runway, but the aircraft was unable to gain altitude.

30 July 2016; Kubicek BB85; SU-GCC; near Lockhart, TX

The ballon was on an unscheduled flight that departed from Fentress Airpart in Fentress, TX. The ballon crashed burned after striking power lines about eight miles (12.9 km) from the launch location near Lockhart, TX. The pilot and all 15 passengers were killed.

19 May 2016; EgyptAir A320-200; SU-GCC; flight MS804; en route Paris to Cairo

The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Paris, France to Cairo, Egypt when radar contact was lost.

13 April 2016; Sunbird Aviation; BN-2T Islander; P2-SBC; Kiunga, Papua New Guinea

The aircraft was on an unscheduled domestic scheduled flight from Oksapmin to Kiunga, Papua New Guienea, and crashed near the destination airport shortly before landing, reportedly due to an engine failure.