Why are there so many plane crashes since the start of 2009?

Okay since the start of this year, 2009, we have had quite a few plane crashes. Is that usual statistically? Or has there just an unusual amount of plane crashes this year?|||Airline crashes are so rare that it is difficult to compute statistics. Several that have received media coverage recently are merely coincidences; they are too exceptional to increase or decrease the likelihood of airline crashes in general. Put another way, airline crashes are so extremely uncommon that it's impossible to know whether a given crash or group of crashes represents a trend or just a random event. Given how exceptional crashes are, they are usually random events, but that cannot be proved.





This is a problem whenever you're dealing with something that is very infrequent. For example, during the Apollo program, NASA had trouble calculating the actual reliability of many components they used simply because the components never failed in practice, or failed so infrequently that they could not establish a reliable base for computing reliability statistics. Airline safety has much the same "problem" (if the extreme rarity of accidents can be considered a problem).|||Yeah, regardless of media coverage, it does seem like there's one plane after another going down. Today (3.22.2009), a PC-12 crashed in Butte, MT killing all 17 people aboard, and a FedEx MD-11 just crashed something like 30 minutes ago at Narita Airport in Tokyo. The pilots survived.

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|||I think it may be economic. The economy is in the toilet, and airlines are cutting whatever corners they can, including maintenance and upkeep.

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|||Many people the world over have noticed that aircraft started to fall from our skies starting back in 2008.


probably you should all listen to Richard C. Hoagland on coast to coast what he says could have some connection to the increase of air disasters around the world. He has my attention.

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|||Well, there is no statistical way to "predict" a plane crash. When an accident happens, it happens. The fact that it is 2009 has no impact on random occurrences and events that lead up to an airplane coming down. But I will agree that there have been a few plane crashes this year, but, with every accident, we are able to learn a little more about why things go wrong.|||Its just a coincidence mainly, but some of the planes that have crashed were really old, in bad shape and didn't receive good maintenance during service.|||Because 2009 isn't a prime number. This answer is as good as any, since there is no relevance to the year at all. But, by the same token, we've had several famous people die this year too.





It can be explained by the ago old expression... chit happens.|||how many car crashes were there? You see, it's just the amount the media wants you to hjear.