Amanda Ripley Author of The Unthinkable

When I first heard the news of Turkish Airlines flight 1951 crashing upon landing at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, I couldn’t help but think: “Another one?” Indeed, the crash of Flight 1951 makes for three plane accidents in an incredibly short period.  With the onslaught of survivor stories and the revolving cycle of disturbing images, it’s hard not to let it go to straight to your amygdala.

But it’s important to remember the silver lining in all of this.  Two out of three of these accidents had few or no fatalities.  Experts (along with another well-known contributor to this blog) insist that the majority of airplane crashes are survivable.

Though Flight 1951 split into three pieces, the plane did not catch fire, ensuring that the majority of passengers were able to escape with minimal injuries.  As we well know, there are many factors that contribute to surviving any type of accident.  Worrying about plane accidents, however, can be scratched off the “To Do” list.  According to authorities quoted on MSBC.com, “commercial flying is at its safest in a 100-year history.”