According to CNN, “NASA on Monday released thousands of pages of complaints from pilots about crew fatigue, air traffic congestion and communications...”

The findings, some of which were leaked in October but not officially released until now, include reports of twice as many bird strikes, near-midair collisions and runway incursions than current government monitoring systems show.
The aerospace agency's chief called raw data from the controversial air-safety research program unreliable and left analysis up to aviation safety experts

The chief is right. Everyone knows that pilots are a lot of worry-warts, getting all excited about a few near-collisions. You didn't actually crash, did you? So what's the panic? It's a little crowded up there? Well, it's just madness down here too at times.

The story goes on to point out that you are more likely to get struck by lightning on the ground than in an airplane. I can believe that. I think you'd probably be most at risk on a golf course during a thundestorm, rather than in an airplane. You're also more likely to drown in your neighbour's swimming pool than in an airplane.

Pilots need to calm down and quit exaggerating, and then we'll all feel safer.

Labels: Near Midair Excessive Proximity Events