Top 8 Safest Airlines To Fly In The USA

On our travel by air, we tend to choose the safest airlines to fly. In fact, traveling by airplanes has recorded the lowest rates of accidents compared to other means of transportation. Reports show that the probability of a person dying from an air plane crash is one for every 4 million flights taken! These are the kind of odds faced in winning the lottery with a single ticket. For many, air travel is the only means of travel, and many might question the safety of airlines. Either way it much safer to take an air plane than driving a vehicle. Below is a list of the safest airlines to fly in the USA with a mention of their incidents in 2010.

America’s Safest Airlines To Fly

8. Jet Blue Airlines

Safest Airlines To Fly: Jet Blue Airline | (c) Photo By Johnny Jet

Incidents per Flight: 0.0000776 | 17 incidents out of 219,000 flights in 2010

Though this is number 8 on the list, it is still very safe. The most serious accident occurred in 2010 is when a JetBlue flight’s parking brake became engaged during the approach and landing on August 26th, which resulted in a rough touch down at the Sacramento International Airport, California. The incident caused all four main tires to blow out and a small fire to broke out near the landing gear. The accident caused seven passengers to have minor injuries during the evacuation process.

7. American Airlines

Safest Airlines To Fly: American Airlines | (c) Photo By erik.altitude

Incidents per Flight: 0.0000701 | 87 incidents out of 1,241,000 flights in 2010

Turbulence is not a fault of the airline but an act of mother nature. American Airlines faced two incidents in 2010 due to turbulence. First incident was when a severe turbulence caused the pilot to make an emergency landing when flight attendants could not walk along the aisle of the plane. The second was due to another severe turbulence, which caused major injuries to one flight attendant and minor injuries to two attendants and three passengers.

6. United Airlines

Safest Airlines To Fly: United Airlines | (c) Photo By United Virtual Airlines

Incidents per Flight: 0.0000407 | 49 incidents out of 1,204,500 flights in 2010

On January 10, 2010 United Airlines had a horrifying incident when a flight’s right-side landing gear didn’t deploy correctly. As the passengers got into brace position, the pilot made a landing in Newark, New Jersey. The landing gear was partially deployed and sparks were shooting along the runaway. Passengers were safely evacuated and only three received minor injuries. United Airlines, as a courtesy refunded the passengers’ tickets and gave vouchers for future travels.

5. Delta Airlines

Safest Airlines To Fly: Delta Airlines | (c) Photo By Simon_sees

Incidents per Flight: 0.0000386 | 77 incidents out of 1,994,725 flights in 2010

Delta Airlines are equipped with multiple engines – two to four, depending on the aircraft. However, they take a single engine failure seriously and take every possible measure to make sure the passengers are safe. On September 27, 2010 a flight from Atlanta to Germany had to divert and landed in Canada as one of the right-side engines failed. After four days, the same flight had to shut down again. Another incident caused minor injuries to two passengers during the evacuation process.

4. Continental Airlines

Safest Airlines To Fly: Continental Airlines | (c) Photo By JL Johnson

Incidents per Flight: 0.0000260 | 23 incidents out of 884,395 flights in 2010

When a flight gets into a situation on air, it is not always the airline’s fault. Continental Airline had such an incident in 2010. A flight was headed to New Jersey from Florida when the airline got too close to the Gulfstream II, which was a close call for sure. It was coming within 300 feet of the Continental Airline. What caused this? It was air traffic control error that caused this near mishap. Luckily, there were no injuries to passengers and staff or damages to the aircraft.

3. US Airways

Safest Airlines To Fly: US Airways | (c) Photo By Neil Armstrong

Incidents per Flight: 0.0000212 | 24 documented incidents out of approximately 1,131,865 flights in 2010

Sometimes accidents happen even before the aircraft hit the air. On June 5, 2010 a US Airways flight ran into another flight while taxing off on the runway at North Carolina airport. One plane sustained minimal damages while the other had significant amount of damage. However, there were no injuries reported. Another incident occurred on January 19 when a US Airways flight overran the runway due to an incorrect flap setting. After some investigations from the National Transportation Safety Board, it was found that it was due to the flight crew’s unprofessional behavior, which distracted them from their primary flight duties and led to their failure to correctly set and verify the flaps.

2. Southwest Airlines

Safest Airlines To Fly: Southwest Airlines | (c) Photo By wbaiv

Incidents per Flight: 0.0000203 | 23 documented incidents out of approximately 1,131,500 flights in 2010

Two serious incidents that occurred with Southwest Airlines were due to cabin pressure. The incidents caused the planes to be diverted and make emergency landings due to the loss of cabin pressure. Three passengers were transported to local hospitals and seven others received medical attention at the airport.

1. Air Tran

Safest Airlines To Fly: Air Tran | (c) Photo By Airplane Geeks

Incidents per Flight: 0.0000196 | 5 documented incidents out of approximately 255,500 flights in 2010

While all these airlines can be categorized as safest airlines to fly, one with the lowest incidents per flight in 2010 is Air Tran. However, we all know that nothing is perfect. On August 12, 2010 one of the engine’s cowling separated while the flight was on air. The airline was diverted from their initial destination and landed safely with no injuries. What do you think will be the safest airlines to fly this year?