It is 2020, and technology is advancing at a constant rate, especially with aviation, over 100 years ago. The first successful airplane was from the Wright brothers. Since then, aviation technology has taken a new level.

With these new advancements, comes the faults and dangers of air crafts. Planes and helicopter crashes can be very dangerous, and are fatal majority of times. In 2019 , there were 86 accidents involving large commercial planes, including eight fatal incidents. There are over 250 fatalities on record from last year. However, “The National Transportation Safety Board indicate that a staggering 97 percent of aviation fatalities occur in general aviation, not in commercial flights.” ABC News reported “there is an average of five small plane crashes each day, resulting in approximately 500 deaths annually.”

We hear about aviation crashes all the time, as it has become normalized. Some reasons for crashes are engine failure, malfunctions with the plane, and pilot errors. It is up to The National Transportation Safety Board to make sure that airplane safety is at an all-time high. 

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Kobe Bryant

Recently, the world is shook due to the death of the famous basketball player, Kobe Bryant. On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant and 8 other passengers died in a helicopter crash. His daughter, Gigi is apart of the 9 passengers. The helicopter, Sikorsky S-76 B had crashed in Calabasas, California, around 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The aircraft had been traveling from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport. 

Kobe’s crash had been first recorded as unknown causes, as the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating. The private helicopter, a His Sikorsky S-76 has a good safety record and VIP clients.

It is said that there is bad weather recorded on the day of the crash. There was heavy fog.

Recent reports talk about the pilot of the helicopter, as he has once violated federal flight rules by flying near an airspace. Aro Zobayan, the pilot was not qualified to be flying according to Federal Aviation Administration records. “In 2015, he was denied clearance to fly an AS350 into the airspace because of reduced visibility and weather conditions,” the Los Angeles Times and Fox News reported.

With recent reports, Vanessa Bryant, is going to sue the helicopter company in the plane crash. The helicopter did not have a feature flying over such a high terrain, which can be a reason for the crash. “Kobe Bryant, the complaint alleges, died ‘as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan’ for which ‘the company is vicariously liable in all respects,'” says an article by the Los Angeles Times.

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a staggering 97 percent of aviation fatalities occur in general aviation, not in commercial flights

— The National Transportation Safety Board

Colonia Plane Crash

In October of 2019, a plane crash is heard throughout all of Colonia, New Jersey. It destroyed an entire house, leaving a family homeless. At approximately 11 AM, the double-engine Cessna 414 airplane had just fallen out of the sky. 

First reports had said that the plane had spiraled straight down from the sky, with unknown causes. It had set three homes on fire, and caused an entire house to burn down, from the plane being lodged in the basement. 

After careful investigation, the crash is unclear, but it is common for these types of airplanes to malfunction. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board investigated the type of plane afterwards.

From research, there have been other crashes with Cessna 414, specifically one in North Carolina. In November of 1983, a Cessna 414 crashed in Chancellor, North Carolina. 2 had been killed in the crash. The causes were the airplane itself, the high terrain, and bad weather.

It has been said that there was an engine failure, the pilot had a heart attack, and the plane had just malfunctioned.

Aviation Safety

Aviation safety is beyond important in saving many lives that are involved in operation, and others that are passengers. It should be the number one priority for any type of transportation, as taking steps towards the prevention of accidents is beneficial.

Many signs should be on watch to keep an aircraft safe. If there is a single failure, it could be detrimental to the aviation and cause a fatal crash. Through risk and hazard management, companies should identify problems with the aircraft before they become fatal. 

Air crafts should have multiple tests in order to entail safe operation. An article from Aviation Hunt said, “from the manufacturer, maintenance, ground support, ATC, in-flight to the flight crew and even passengers, every agency plays a role in the safe take off to landing of every flight. This is achieve through an intricate network of procedures that prevents errors and omissions as well as processes that are in place to capture such lapses.”

These planes should have required tests to make sure they meet design and safety standards. With hazard reporting, a problem can be stopped before it can get worse. 

In Kobe Bryant’s crash, the pilot should have been checked out before flying. He was unable to fly due to his his history with dangerous terrains. The aircraft should also have recognized the foggy weather, which is a dangerous to all air crafts. With the Cessna crashes, the plane should be made in order to deal with bad weather and higher terrains, or should notify the operation and passengers about this flaw.

Technology

Apart from airplane equipment, manufacturers should study and apply human factors to the design of these airplanes. The new and advanced technology enhances a level of safety, so it’s easier to discover issues. Through research and development in technology, there has been a great chance of detection early on. With new technology in airplanes, they can predict malfunctions and issues before they happen which boosts safety for aviation. 

The best strategy for aviation safety is prevention. Finding any hazards before they become risks, through precautions and the use of technology, can help to prevent malfunctions.