Embry-Riddle aviation safety study puts viral flight fears into perspective.

Description

A new aviation safety report from Embry-Riddle shows why fear of flying often outpaces the data, especially in the age of social media.

If recent aviation headlines have made you more anxious about flying, you are not alone.

In this day and age, aviation incidents do not stay local for long. A mechanical issue, an engine failure, a rejected takeoff, a runway go-around, or a close call can be clipped, posted, reshared, and stripped of context before the aircraft has even taxied back to the gate. Social media has made the average traveler more aware of every little aviation mishap than ever before.

Being more aware can help, but it can also make normal flying procedures seem scary, especially for people who don’t know much about the rules and science behind commercial aviation.