What is the most dangerous time on a flight?

Soaring through the sky, with nothing below you but 10,000m of thin air, is a dangerous place to be, but reaching that height isn't the most dangerous part of a flight…

According to pilots and aviation experts, these dangers only occur at very specific times during a flight, mainly takeoff and landing.

"Some of us who have always been told that 'flying is the safest way to travel,' are actually scared right now," Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.Y., told the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) at a March 26 oversight hearing on aviation safety following a spate of recent incidents.

January 29, 2025 air crash between an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport

PHOTO: Washington Post

Of the 1,468 accidents recorded by the International Air Transport Association in 2024, 770 occurred during landing and 124 occurred during takeoff.

CNN transportation analyst Mary Schiavo says the higher accident rate during these phases of flight is due to the inherent dangers and maneuvers required to take off and land at the airport.

“Airports are more stressful for pilots, air traffic controllers and aircraft,” Schiavo stressed. She said landings are more dangerous than takeoffs because there are fewer options when landing.

"That's really the critical moment, especially when the plane is in mid-air and it's hitting a bump…", Schiavo added. "If you're taking off, you have the runway. You see the runway in front of you. But descending and landing is the most dangerous moment."

Takeoff and landing are not easy tasks. Pilots are trained and retrained to react if something goes wrong during these critical moments.

They are so important that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not allow any unnecessary conversations or activities below 10,000 feet, according to Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots.

The “sterile cockpit” rule was enacted by the FAA in 1981. This rule allows time during those critical moments for pilots to focus on taking off or landing the aircraft.

"For actual flight to take off, you have to bear more weight. You're accelerating from zero to a speed where you can fly," Tajer said.

Meanwhile, pilots know how high the risks are during takeoff and landing and cannot take these moments lightly.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thoi-diem-nao-nguy-hiem-nhat-tren-mot-chuyen-bay-185250402090415737.htm