Cargo Comparability

Air Safety Week, August 23, 2004

Some stunning statistics were presented by Ellen Engleman-Connors, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in her August 18 remarks at the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) annual safety symposium. To wit:

* The NTSB has investigated more than 40 cargo plane accidents since 1984 (i.e., an average of two per year, killing a total of 170 persons, including aircrews and those on the ground).

* Air cargo operations feature two to five times the accident risk than passenger flights.

* The cargo fleet involves older airplanes (28 years vs. 7 years average age).

At the same time, Engleman-Connors said, "Air cargo safety is not an issue based on statistics; it's an issue of safety."

"In other words, the family at home should have the same expectation of safety no matter where the pilot flies, what the pilot flies or for whom the pilot flies," she declared (emphasis in original delivery, this statement generating much applause).

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