Airplane accident Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Airplane accident - Research Paper Example So far, NTSB has established that aviation can profit from more training of pilots and the re-evaluation of the existing safety procedures in cases of engine malfunctions. Thesis: Despite pilot errors being the primary  cause of the airplane accidents, there are other issues such as mechanical dysfunction, poor weather, and landing accidents that can result in aviation accidents. Literature Review Statistics show that the number of airplane accidents experienced in developed nations has dropped since 2010 even though aircraft accidents in developing nations have increased. According to Learmount, in 2010 in the United States alone there were 26 fatal airplane accidents, compared with 28 accidents in 2009 (Learmount). According to Flightglobal, which researches aircraft malfunctions and evaluates them for the benefit of aviation and aerospace experts in the air transport industry, the number of commercial aircraft accidents from 2010 to 2011 rose to 32 from 28 (Rapoport 46). Airline safety professionals have attributed this fact to the emergence of in-flight malfunctions when the planes encounter severe weather or when birds interfere with the engines while the planes are in flight. According to NTSB statistics, between 2004 and 2008, there were approximately 245 commercial aviation accidents that occurred as a result of different reasons such as adverse weather or fuel exhaustion (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). The numbers of plane crashes would increase over the years at a steady rate so that in 2010, general aviation aircraft, which include commercial aircraft, had 267 aircraft accidents (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). Even though adverse weather is a common cause of plane crashes, many pilots still choose to navigate through it rather than delay flights. This may in part be due to the pressure of maintaining the passengers’ preferred schedules. According to Jarboe, there were 111 weather-related commercial aircraft crashes in Pue rto Rico and the United States in 2004 alone. Between 2010 and 2011, 15% of all aviation accidents were the result of the malfunctioning of in-flight systems due to adverse weather (Jarboe 2). Harsh weather systems are also thought to have caused the malfunctioning of in-flight systems in the ill-fated Air France’s flight AF447. Air crash investigators who examined the different parts of the ill-fated flight AF447 also confirmed that the malfunctioning of the pitot tube may have pushed the pilots to erroneous decisions. All avionics mechanical systems are dependent on pitot tubes.   This device is responsible for measuring the impact of oncoming air. However, the simple design of pitot tubes makes them susceptible to blockages which can be caused by mud wasp nests, dead insects, and ice. According to Jackson, the failure of the pitot system is viewed as being the worst possible malfunction that can occur when a plane is in flight (Jackson). Numerous airplane accidents that took place in the past can be have been traced to the existence of a faulty pitot tube. According to Jackson, in 1995, an X-31A research aircraft crashed in California after its pitot tube was covered by ice (Jackson). Another plane, the Austral Lineas Aereas Flight 2553, similarly crashed, causing the deaths of its 74 passengers, when its pitot tube was completely frozen. Its pilots had actually presumed that the plane was stalling- which is something that is