Aviation Disasters Explained For IAS Exam Current Affairs

The history of aviation has had some horrific accidents. But when compared to other modes of transportation these incidents are relatively low, and each mishap has mandated better technology. To know more about the worst plane crashes in history, read here https://list25.com/25-worst-aviation-disasters-and-plane-crashes-in-history/. In this particular write-up, we talk about two accidents that spurred a major upgrade in the field of aviation as taught in all top Top IAS academy as part of current affairs. Current affairs constitutes to maximum marks in the civil services exams.

A TAW Flight 2 collided with United Airlines Flight 718 in the Grand Canyon. It was this crash that caused significant improvements to be made in the Air Traffic Control system. The ATC got an upgrade worth more than two hundred and fifty million dollars. Considering the crash happened more than half a century ago that was a massive investment. The accident also worked on collision avoidance, so much so that since then there has not been a single collision between two air carriers in the entire United States.

How Does an Airplane Crash Affect the Passengers ?

It was this same incident that saw the inception of a Federal Aviation Agency that is now known as Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA was created to ensure air safety of all. The next plane crash that changed the history of this industry occurred in Portland. A United Airline Flight 173 carrying over hundred and eighty passengers met with a landing gear problem.

The plane circled the airport for over an hour trying to find the best possible way to land without any damage. The captain of the flight, who at that time had the final say in all decisions, waited for a touch too long to start the final descent. The plane, which was already on low fuel, ultimately ran out and crashed in the suburbs of the city. The accident caused the death of ten individuals. If the captain had listened to the flight engineer on board who warned him about the low fuel, the outcome might have been different.

This crash changed the way cockpits were run. United created the Cockpit Resource Management concept. The idea was to move beyond the ‘captain is god’ policy and bring in teamwork. CRM is now the industry standard when it comes to cockpit training procedures. Airlines emphasize on collaboration and communication to guarantee the safety of all lives on board.

How Many Plane Crashes Have There Ever Been ?

There have been many more such plane-crashes that have caused a subsequent change in the way planes are flown. Some have emphasized on the need to give precedence to manual and human flying over computers, and some have led to real-time tracking of the location of each plane. The former occurred when an Air France flight from Rio to Paris crashed and disappeared into the sea for a long time. The latter happened when Malaysian Airline dropped off from radar in 2014 never to be found again.

Each accident and tragedy has led to a consequent betterment of the sector. The hope is that there will come a time when air travel becomes the safest option possible.