Airplane Crash Fears

[EarlJam]

What "cause of crash" do you fear the most when flying?

[merry]

In-flight alien abduction of the flight crew.

[TillyGalore]

Whatever causes the longest for the plane to crash. This may sound morbid, if I'm going to die in a plane crash, I want it to be quick and instantaneous.

[Shammrog]

(Earljam at the controls.)

[TillyGalore]

(Earljam at the controls.)

Good one.

[EarlJam]

In-flight alien abduction of the flight crew.

Well now you're just being silly! :D

-EJ

[EarlJam]

Whatever causes the longest for the plane to crash. This may sound morbid, if I'm going to die in a plane crash, I want it to be quick and instantaneous.

Then you should probably vote for mid-air collision or slamming into a mountainside.

-EJ

[TillyGalore]

Then you should probably vote for mid-air collision or slamming into a mountainside.

-EJ

Slamming into a mountainside isn't an option.

Though will think about the mid-air collision. The last time I temporarily abstained from voting in a poll, thenwhen I did I was fussed at. :rolleyes:

[Lavabe]

Now I have to get out Airplane!

Is Otto at the controls? Or is it Kareem?

Cheers,
Lavabe

[EarlJam]

Now I have to get out Airplane!

Is Otto at the controls? Or is it Kareem?

Cheers,
Lavabe

It's Otto. After the "service" he recieved in the movie, he vowed NEVER to retire!

-EJ

[DukieInKansas]

Since suicidal pilot wasn't an option, I went with windsheer/weather although I don't usually worry about crashes.

I have already gotten stuck in the mud on a 747 that missed a taxiway, was on a plane that was told to land (and pay landing fees) or they would make us land, and had an aborted landing due to another plane on the runway. Have had family members on planes with an engine that went out or had a fire. We all survived, so I figure there is no need to worry. :D

[merry]

... had an aborted landing due to another plane on the runway....

I've had this happen (aborted landing, for whatever reason) a number of times. It's a little unnerving when it happens after the landing gear are down but there's fog/clouds so thick you can't see anything at all.

One time landing in Memphis on a perfectly calm and clear day, I was in a plane that just before landing went suddenly back up and banked around. The lady next to me started freaking out and saying "what's going to happen! what's going to happen!". I told her if something was going to happen it would have already happened. About that time the pilot came on sounding really irritated and said "Sorry for the brief delay, we will be landing in one minute."

[cato]

Since suicidal pilot wasn't an option, I went with windsheer/weather although I don't usually worry about crashes.

I have already gotten stuck in the mud on a 747 that missed a taxiway, was on a plane that was told to land (and pay landing fees) or they would make us land, and had an aborted landing due to another plane on the runway. Have had family members on planes with an engine that went out or had a fire. We all survived, so I figure there is no need to worry. :D

Step one: find wood.

Step two: knock on it.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I have already gotten stuck in the mud on a 747 that missed a taxiway, was on a plane that was told to land (and pay landing fees) or they would make us land, and had an aborted landing due to another plane on the runway. Have had family members on planes with an engine that went out or had a fire. We all survived, so I figure there is no need to worry. :D

Remind me never to fly with you, DukieInKansas. You are obviously bad luck, as is your family. :rolleyes:

I chose "fire in the plane", as this would be the most prolonged event, plus, probably the most painful. With wind shear, if it is near the ground on final, bump, boom, your dead. Or, your on some deserted island with Kate, Jack, Sawyer and Hurley et. al.

[DukieInKansas]

The good news is that none of these events have been recent. You just never forget them.

[hurleyfor3]

I worry whenever I'm on a 737 the rudder hasn't been completely fixed. (Google "USAir flight 427".)

In some 700,000 miles of flying over the last 10 years the weirdest incident I've experienced was a landing at DCA that was aborted twice before we finally touched the ground. We were doing the "river visual" approach, so at least I got the view of the monuments and stuff three times.

[EarlJam]

I worry whenever I'm on a 737 the rudder hasn't been completely fixed. (Google "USAir flight 427".)

In some 700,000 miles of flying over the last 10 years the weirdest incident I've experienced was a landing at DCA that was aborted twice before we finally touched the ground. We were doing the "river visual" approach, so at least I got the view of the monuments and stuff three times.

Yes. Several incidents. The two with 737s I believe were in Colorado Springs (United?) and then in Pittsburgh (USAir 427).

Also, in the 90s, an Alaskan Airlines DC-9's rudder got stuck in mid flight. The plane became inverted, went into a flat spin and crashed in the Pacific.

The black box recording of the Colorado Springs incident is just horrifying.

-EJ

[captmojo]

Duhhhhh......... any of the above. :eek:

[Windsor]

In my previous job I travelled constantly and logged big time air miles.

Had a horrific landing in Hartford in a terrible summer storm. Took 5 (count 'em five) tries to land...worst abort we were almost over the runway and I guess it was a microburst because the left wing was pushed downward...the entire plane almost went perpendicular (not an expert but physics 101 tells me this is bad bad bad)...pilot went to full throttle, and that plane screamed and shook like it was going to fall apart, all the over heads opened up, the wing I could see was snapping around like it was paper. I was sure I was dead. Two more tries and he finally got in down. Getting off the plane the pilot was not doing the usual 'hi thanks for flying'....he was leaning on the cockpit door his shirt was soaked with sweat and he was green. I was the last person of the plane so I asked him if it was as 'close as I thought' he held up his index finger and them without about a micron of space between them and didn't say a word. I told him 'nice flying' and got off the plane.

Ironically after that flight regular turbulence never bothered me.

I've had so may aborted landings I can't count them, two aborted take offs (after the wheels were up), one slide off the end of the runway in the snow and ice, struck by ligthening in midair (now that's freaky!), engine failure, gear stuck, power failures, Oxygen masks dropping ..near miss midair over Dallas...all kinds of fun.

And yet....I love to fly....I'm warped.

[EarlJam]

In my previous job I travelled constantly and logged big time air miles.

Had a horrific landing in Hartford in a terrible summer storm. Took 5 (count 'em five) tries to land...worst abort we were almost over the runway and I guess it was a microburst because the left wing was pushed downward...the entire plane almost went perpendicular (not an expert but physics 101 tells me this is bad bad bad)...pilot went to full throttle, and that plane screamed and shook like it was going to fall apart, all the over heads opened up, the wing I could see was snapping around like it was paper. I was sure I was dead. Two more tries and he finally got in down. Getting off the plane the pilot was not doing the usual 'hi thanks for flying'....he was leaning on the cockpit door his shirt was soaked with sweat and he was green. I was the last person of the plane so I asked him if it was as 'close as I thought' he held up his index finger and them without about a micron of space between them and didn't say a word. I told him 'nice flying' and got off the plane.



In short, HOLY SHNIT! Great story though.

[allenmurray]

I always like it when they say, "In the event of a water landing . . . " If you didn't put the plane there on purpose it wasn't a landing, it was a crash, water or no water.

[hurleyfor3]

Yeah, disregading that "water landing" is an oxymoron to begin with, a plane floats about as well as a boat flies.

[DukieInKansas]

Windsor - Apparently, you subscribe to the theory that any landing you walk away from is a good landing. I believe that is a pilot's motto.

[EarlJam]

Windsor - Apparently, you subscribe to the theory that any landing you walk away from is a good landing. I believe that is a pilot's motto.

Another motto: Take offs are optional, landings are mandatory.

Also: Red over white, you're all right. Red over red, you're dead.

[colchar]

It is T minus 25 days until I fly over to Britain. Thanks for starting this thread. Just what I need to be thinking about!!!

[Windsor]

Windsor - Apparently, you subscribe to the theory that any landing you walk away from is a good landing. I believe that is a pilot's motto.

Exactly...and the definition of a great landing....you can use the plane again!

[2535Miles]

I voted for windsheer/weather because EarlJam [forgot?] to include gremlins. Now matter what altitude, 5.5 feet or 20,000 feet, them are some scary critters.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/Treehouse_of_Horror_IV.jpg/200px-Treehouse_of_Horror_IV.jpg

[Chard]

I don't talk about flying.

<shudder>

[Bluedawg]

I don't worry about any of that actually.

I've always loved lewis grizzard's comment that it was not flying that scared him. it was crashing and burning that did.

[EarlJam]

I don't fly that much anymore. My arms get tired.

[insert uproarious laughter]

-PilotJam

[glutton]

I knew I shouldn't have read this thread...

I'm pretty much afraid of flying in general. Takeoffs and landings are the worst, but I don't like turbulence either. Sleeping usually helps, but about 10% of the time I'll have a dream about the plane crashing. Waking up from a plane crash nightmare to find yourself still on a plane? Yeah, not awesome.

[hc5duke]

Also: Red over white, you're all right. Red over red, you're dead.

What about white over red (http://www.nbc11.com/slideshow/news/16290275/detail.html?qs=1;s=1;dm=ss;p=news;w=400)?
http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=6&pictureid=31

[prefan21]

No hijacked plane option?

[gvtucker]

The odds of my being in any sort of plane crash are so small that worrying about what type of crash I might be involved in seems irrational to me. I don't give it a second's thought.

[EarlJam]

What about white over red (http://www.nbc11.com/slideshow/news/16290275/detail.html?qs=1;s=1;dm=ss;p=news;w=400)?
http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=6&pictureid=31

One of the more genius posts ever! Well done! Seriously! Would make a great caption in an aviation pub. Everyone was okay, right?

-EJ

[EarlJam]

The odds of my being in any sort of plane crash are so small that worrying about what type of crash I might be involved in seems irrational to me. I don't give it a second's thought.

Oh snap. You're doomed.

-EJ

[2535Miles]

Oh snap. You're doomed.
POTD!

[gvtucker]

Oh snap. You're doomed.

-EJ

You're only tempting fate if you believe that there's fate to tempt.

[Shammrog]

No hijacked plane option?

It depends on whether or not the hijackers successfully land the plane.

[ugadevil]

I took the weather/windshear option. Actually, that's probably not what scares me the most. It's the landing on some deserted island with scary people that steal children and have a smoke monster "security system". If you think I'm flying over the south pacific any time soon, you must be crazy.

[pamtar]

OK, I waited to today to post on this thread because when I noticed it I was about 8 hours from taking the redeye out of Denver. I hate flying. My dad was a test pilot in the air force so the only time I like to fly is when he's right beside me telling me everything thats going on. I've flown tons of times and every time I'm scared. I can only go for about four hours before I start to lose it.

So with that said: as we we were driving to the airport we noticed a thick trail of smoke in the sheen of the moon. A plane was landing with a engine malfunction. No word from the airport staff but I can assume thats what was happening. That sends our conversation into a five minute discussion on plane crashes. I'm starting to flip.

As we board I decide to listen to some music. I chose Bright Eye's 'I'm Wide Awake, Its Morning' which I burned from a friend and have never listened to. Go here for lyrics to 'At the Bottom of Everything' -
http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858517618
I kept listening to see if there was a happy ending - there wasn't.

Worst flight of my life. I'm made it through though and kissed the ILM tarmac. Earl Jam, you suck!;)