No Fatalities, 9 Injuries

The year 2002 may well be remembered as the worst ever for the America's major airlines financially. Combined, they lost $11.3 billion. But 2003 stands out for another reason. It was also the safest year to fly commercial -- ever.

There were no deaths due to air accidents in 2002. Nine people were seriously injured throughout the 12-month period. That was attributed mostly to in-flight turbulence, bumps and bruises on evacuation slides and other relatively minor incidents.

There Is A Safety Downside

Aviation experts quoted in the Washington Post say spending on research, equipment and training has been reduced so airlines can pay for more security in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Just last week, federal regulators said they were concerned about contract maintenance operations that the airlines are increasingly relying on to save money.

Some industry executives say complacency could well lead airline workers to let down their guard and airline executives to eventually question whether the money they've spent on safety while cutting so many other things couldn't be trimmed just a tad.

"The absolute focus from a national resource point of view is being poured into security," said Stuart Matthews, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, as quoted in the Post. "Safety is a never-ending task. I'm not going to say the system isn't safe, but if we don't pour money into safety, we'll plateau."

Industry Slump Good For Safety In The Future?

As bad as last year was for business, the tremendous slump in commercial aviation has provided airlines with some opportunities to make things a little safer. A lot of airlines have grounded older aircraft and laid off less-experienced pilots and mechanics. That leaves them relying on more modern aircraft systems which, because they're relatively new, need less maintenance. As airlines continue laying off flight and cabin crews, as well as mechanics, only the most seasoned employees are left to fly and maintain their aircraft.

Then again, airlines have plenty of reasons to be overly cautious these days. Carrier management and crews say a financially troubled airline might be just one crash away from changing addresses to the airliner boneyard in Pima (AZ).

"We in the industry have learned the hard way in the past, and we don't want to go down that road again," said Joe Chronic, vice president for flight operations at America West Airlines. So far, America West has avoided a post-Sept. 11, 2001, money meltdown. Part of that can be attributed to a $380 million loan guarantee from the government.

The NTSB says there were 34 commercial airline accidents last year. Most, however, were designated "minor." The board designated only one accident as "major" -- a Federal Express Corp. cargo crash at Tallahassee (FL) where the aircraft was completely destroyed the plane, and the only "serious" passenger aircraft accident was an America West plane that ran off the runway in Phoenix (AZ) Aug. 28, 2002.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov/aviation/aviation.htm