So This Thing Can Fly Right?

There have been a high number of non-fatal plane incidents this past week. All of them happened at take-off which is always my most nervous part of flying. For those of you who haven't heard let me re-cap.

Passengers were exposed to fumes from de-icing fluid in Seattle on Dec. 24th. The passengers were exposed to the irritating fumes for 45 minutes before they de-boarded the plane. 26 people were treated and 7 went to the hospital (all 5 crew members took the trip to the hospital, duh I know I woulda went too).

On Christmas eve in Chicago 2 American Airlines flights had emergencies. Flight 1544 an MD-80 on it's way to Reagan International Airport just outside of DC, carrying 54 passengers and 5 crew skidded off the runway when it hit an icy patch while taxi-ing. Part of the plane ended up on the grass and the passengers had to leave the plane via the staircase and be bussed back to the terminal for  another flight. No-one was hurt.

Later the same day, again at O'Hare airport and another American Airlines MD-80 had a scarier incident 3 minutes into the flight. This plane had 76 passengers heading to Saint Louis. About 15 miles south of the airport there was a loud bang. The plane tilted and shuddered and the pilot announced that the right engine had blown and they would turn around and make an emergency landing back at O'Hare. Again no-one was hurt.

Worst of all (pictured above) on Dec 20th a Continental Airlines jet in Denver Colorado veered off of the runway at take-off. This incident was probably the scariest to experience since it included an explosion with fireball, at least the feeling of the plane leaving the ground, a physically jolting crash, the plane cracking open, stampede towards emergency exits, falling luggage, and fire in the cabin! Somebody screamed the plane was going to explode since leaking fuel caught fire. 38 people were injured mostly suffering bruises and broken bones.  

I figure there will be some law-suits coming out of the real crash and maybe the de-icing incident. I wonder how that will play-out. If I was in a plane that literally crashed and caught fire and all, I doubt I'd be getting on another plane for a long time. Everyone involved in these incidents should be pretty thankful that they are ok. I have a flight next week and I will be pumping my headphones trying to distract myself when it comes time to taxi and take-off. If I don't make it to the other side tell the babies Estacio Villa was the most professional you'd ever known.

What do EWE think?

So how about this, not 24 hours after I post this another plane slides off a Chicago runway! This time at Midway Airport a Southwest Airlines Plane, carrying 98 people on their way to L.A. The plane became stuck in snow on the shoulder of the taxi-way on it's way to a runway for take-off. Passengers were bused to the terminal for another flight.

Now, What do EWE think?