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Southwest Air travelers dismiss fears

Many point to odds against deadly accidents
Posted at 5:30 PM, Apr 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-18 17:30:44-04

The check in lines at Southwest Airlines in BWI Marshall Airport are proof that many view the blown engine on Flight 1380 that cost a woman her life was a tragic exception, not the rule.
    
With 20 of Maryland's top high school hockey players in his care, Manager Jerry Rovenolt didn't give it a second thought as they prepared to board a plane bound for St. Louis.

"I didn't think anything of it only because accidents happen one in maybe 100,000 flights," said Rovenolt.
    
Ella Haddad is taking her daughter, Stephanie, to Las Vegas for her 21st birthday and she never considered letting the accident change their plans.

"No. No.  I think it's still generally safe,” said Ella, “I heard that she was the first airline fatality in about 10 years.  When you consider the millions of flights per day and the hundreds of millions of people in the last 10 years that have travelled, I think it's still relatively safe."

"You always hear that flying is safer than driving, but the problem with accidents in the air is that there are fewer ways to get to people who need help,” added Stephanie, “It's always in the back of my mind, but it's one of those things where you can't let it prevent you from going places and doing things so I just hope that they can get it all under control and keep it from happening to other people."
    
And as a full slate of scheduled flights took to the air, Vashti Douglas of East Baltimore set aside thoughts of her destination, sunny Fort Lauderdale, considering the risks of flying just 24 hours after the fatal accident.

"I'm still a little nervous and skeptical, but overall I know that I'm going to be safe," said Douglas.

The company, which produced the problematic engine, also has pledged to deploy dozens of technicians to aid in the inspections, claiming over the last 20 years, the same engines have been used in 6700 planes around the world with an outstanding safety record.