Sound Advice- check the weather report before boarding a plane
Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 325
Tags: ATR-72,
turboprop plane,
air crash,
aviation attorney,
aviation litigation,
plane crash,
Kentucky crash,
Thailand crash,
FAA,
Continental Flight 128,
NASDAC,
Captain Chartchai Punsuwan,
Ko Samui crash,
avition attorney As much as we assign blame for airplane crashes on human and mechanical error, Mother Nature often is a large part of the equation.
While Congress rightfully is seeking to improve the way pilots are trained, one of the best ways to avoid an accident may be to check the forecast.
Case in point: An ATR-72 turboprop plane carrying 68 passengers and four crew members slid off the runway on Tuesday at Koh Samui airport in Thailand. The aircraft slammed into an old air traffic control tower, killing Captain Chartchai Punsuwan while his co-pilot remains in a critical condition in hospital. Five passengers suffered serious injuries and two others sustained minor injuries. According to early reports, the plane was attempting to land in a storm, and heavy rain and strong winds may have played a role in the accident.
It’s just one of a string of recent weather-related airplane emergencies. Two people were hurt when a Detroit-bound Delta Air Lines plane ran into severe turbulence and was forced to land in Kentucky.
And at least 28 passengers aboard Continental Flight 128 were injured as the plane flew from Rio de Janeiro to Houston. The flight made an emergency landing in Miami.
Between 1994 and 2003, there were 4,167 weather-related accidents, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration’s National Aviation Safety Data Analysis Center (NASDAC). Of those accidents, 1,717 show no record of a weather briefing.
In South Florida, we are accustomed to checking the hurricane map days in advance to see if we need to make preparations for a storm. And anybody with Internet access can get a 5-day weather report. So we know that airlines have the weather information.
The question to be asked is what are the standards for deciding when to try to land and take-off? And are those safety standards being routinely followed or are exceptions made? Given the strong safety records of airlines and the incredibly miniscule chance that an individual will be involved in an airplane accident, are the numbers being played to the detriment of the few? Let’s hope not but just to be certain, check the weather reports before your choose to fly.