Explainers

Flying, explained.

Short, sourced explanations of what you see, hear and feel on a flight, and of the aviation stories in the news. Pour a coffee; none of them take long.

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Turbulence: uncomfortable, but not dangerous to the airplane

Why the bumps happen, why the wings won't come off, and the one simple thing that keeps you safe.
  1. That noise! A guide to normal sounds on a flightThunks, whirs, chimes and the famous "barking dog" — what you're hearing, from gate to gate.
  2. Go-arounds: why pilots sometimes abort a landing (and why that's good)The sudden engine roar near the ground is a normal, practiced maneuver — a safety choice, not an emergency.
  3. Holding patterns: why you're flying in circlesRacetrack loops near your destination are a routine traffic tool, and airliners carry fuel planned for...
  4. What if an engine fails?Airliners are designed to keep flying, climb and land on one engine — and pilots practise exactly that.
  5. Lightning strikes on airplanesLightning strikes on airliners are relatively common, and planes are built for them. Here's why you'll...
  6. Bird strikes: common, planned for, and usually uneventfulBirds and airplanes meet more often than you'd think. Here's why engines and airports are built for it.

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When you're in the air

Quick answers

Just how safe is flying?

Looking at the whole industry over many years, serious accidents are very rare, and they keep getting rarer. MIT researchers found the worldwide death rate per passenger boarding has roughly halved every decade. For 2018–2022 they counted about one death per 13.7 million boardings, averaged across all airlines and all boardings worldwide.1 In 2025, IATA counted 8 fatal accidents across about 38.7 million commercial flights worldwide.2

These are industry-wide averages across tens of millions of flights a year. They aren't odds or a prediction for any particular flight, airline or aircraft, and SafelyAboard doesn't produce those. What they do show is how much the whole system has learned.

Sources: MIT News, "Study: Flying keeps getting safer" (2024), IATA 2025 Safety Report press release

Is turbulence dangerous?

Not to the airplane. Airliner structures must carry their maximum expected loads with a 1.5 factor of safety on top.3 The NTSB's study of US airline turbulence accidents found most involved serious injuries inside the cabin but no damage to the aircraft.1 The fix is simple: keep your seat belt on whenever you're seated.2 Read the full explainer: Can turbulence make a plane crash?

Sources: NTSB Safety Research Report SS-21-01, FAA, Turbulence: Staying Safe, 14 CFR § 25.303, Factor of safety

Why do the wings bend and flex?

They're meant to. Wings are built to flex, a bit like a car's suspension soaking up bumps. US certification rules require an airliner's structure to carry its maximum expected loads without harmful permanent deformation, and say that any bending up to those loads must not interfere with safe operation.1 On long-range jets you may see the wingtips rise noticeably in flight. That's normal and expected.

Source: 14 CFR § 25.305, Strength and deformation

Was that hard landing a bad landing?

Not necessarily. FAA guidance says a firm touchdown at the target point, followed by spoilers, reverse thrust and braking, gives the shortest landing roll, particularly on wet or contaminated runways.1 Flight Safety Foundation guidance for wet runways also calls for a firm touchdown.2 So a firm landing can be exactly the right technique; a feather-light one isn't the goal on every runway.

Sources: FAA Advisory Circular 91-79A, Mitigating the Risks of a Runway Overrun Upon Landing (2014), Flight Safety Foundation, ALAR Briefing Note 8.5: Wet or Contaminated Runways

What happens if the cabin loses pressure?

Oxygen masks drop from above your seat. Put yours on first, then help others. The pilots will descend to an altitude where you can breathe normally, usually within minutes. Masks provide oxygen even if the bag doesn't visibly inflate. In the Alaska Airlines 1282 door-plug event, the crew followed exactly these procedures and landed safely. Read the explainer.

Source: NTSB report on Alaska Airlines 1282 (AIR-25-04)

Why do I have to put my phone in airplane mode?

It's a precaution against interference with radio and navigation equipment, and it's the rule. A single phone is extremely unlikely to cause a problem, but many transmitting devices searching for a cell signal can create noise in pilots' headsets. Airlines decide which devices can be used and when, following FAA guidance.

Source: FAA Advisory Circular 91.21-1D — Use of Portable Electronic Devices Aboard Aircraft

Is an older plane less safe?

Age alone tells you very little. US airlines maintain their aircraft under FAA rules, and older airplanes face extra scrutiny: once an airliner has been in service for about 15 years, the airline must have the FAA complete an aging-airplane inspection and records review, repeated at intervals of no more than 7 years. The airline has to show that age-sensitive parts and components have been maintained adequately and on time.1 Curious how old your plane is? Try our tail number lookup.

Source: 14 CFR § 121.1105, Aging airplane inspections and records reviews

Why should I listen to the safety briefing every time?

Because exits, seat belts and evacuation slides differ between aircraft, and knowing where your nearest exit is (it may be behind you) saves precious seconds. In real evacuations such as JAL 516 at Haneda and Delta Connection 4819 at Toronto, everyone got out — helped by crews' training and passengers following instructions. Leave bags behind if you ever need to evacuate.

Sources: TSB Canada preliminary report A25O0021, Japan Airlines JL516 press memo (PDF)