The Dangers of Aircraft Take Offs and Landings

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Did you that aircraft take-offs and landings are among the most dangerous time of an aircraft's journey? At least that's what data from Boeing suggests.

The firm has found that takeoffs make up only 2% of the entire flight, but account for 12% of all crashes and landings make up about 4% of the average flight but are responsible for 53% of fatal accidents. Those are some pretty scary statistics and they get even scarier when you consider that a plane’s cruising phase lasts for more than half of the one-and-a-half-hour trip, but accounts for only 11% of fatal accidents.

Part of the reason take-offs are so accident-prone is because they are so short. They only last 30 to 35 seconds which means there's no time to fix any mistakes that might arise. That's the case for landings as well.

So does that mean that the rest of the time, flying is actually pretty safe? Yes it does! But the explanation behind why this is so is a lot more complex and takes many more factors into consideration. If you want to know all the reasons why take-offs and landings are indeed more dangerous than the cruising phase, watch our video.