Fear of flying since engine blown

[kardenham]

I have flown many times over the last 23 years and never really had a problem until 2 years ago. I was flying on the second leg of my trip from Charlotte to Phoenix when on our ascent at about 25,000 feet, one of the engines blew on the Airbus 319. We were sitting on the back of the plane and heard a loud explosion and the back of the plane rocked back and forth as we lost some altitude.

The Captain returned to Charlotte and made an emergency landing. I was so shaken that I couldn't get on another flight that day. I did fly the next day home to Phoenix without incident.

Since then, I have flown at least 30 times and each time, I become very nervous especially on the initial climb and during turbulence.

I have to fly home from BWI to PHX on Friday and I'm really dreading it. I always try to sit near the wing or as far in the front of the plane as possible (still usually coach). Does anyone have any advice on how to overcome this because my logical mind is taking second place to my fear.

Thanks,
Kardenham

 

[tb_neg]

Knowing that having a double engine failure on an aircraft is nearly unprecedented, I'd probably be freaked out.

A single engine problem is fairly rare though. But, the plane is designed at ALL phases of flight to be able to operate on one engine, but they will land right away at the nearest airport.

You are right though, initial climb and landing are the most 'dangerous' phases of flight, although flying is really safe, and probably safer than walking.

From Boeing:
A Boeing airplane takes off or lands somewhere in the world every two seconds -- every day, all day.

That's pretty phenomenal.

More:
n the United States, it's 22 times safer flying in a commercial jet than traveling by car, according to a 1993-95 study by the U.S. National Safety Council. The study compares accident fatalities per million passenger-miles traveled. The number of U.S. highway deaths in a typical six-month period -- about 21,000 -- roughly equals all commercial jet fatalities worldwide since the dawn of jet aviation four decades ago. In fact, fewer people have died in commercial airplane accidents in America over the past 60 years than are killed in U.S. auto accidents in a typical three-month period.

To read more, click here:

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/safety/howsafe.html

As to trying to help you, you might just have a discussion with your right brain and let your left brain take control for a bit.

 

[tb_neg]

Fanjets

High-bypass-ratio fanjets are the most reliable engines ever developed. Fundamentally simple, fanjets are fuel efficient and quiet turbine engines. They feature continuous combustion and smooth rotation, unlike the internal-combustion engine of a car, truck or bus. A fanjet engine has three sections:

• Fan unit and compressor section
• Combustion chamber
• Turbine section

The compressors pressurize air and feed it aft. Most goes around the engine core through a nozzle-shaped chamber. The rest goes through the engine core where it mixes with fuel and ignites. The hot expanding combustion efflux passes through the turbine section, spinning the turbine as it exits the engine.
The spinning turbine turns the engine shaft. The rotating shaft spins the fan on the front of the engine. The fan compresses more air and keeps this continuous cycle going.