Aircraft Accidents Quotes

We were ignorant, and we were ignorant of the fact that we were ignorant. That is ignorance squared, and it can lead to disaster.

Anytime I fly anywhere, I think... well, this could be it. I try so hard not to think like that, but I just can't get my head around the concept that this gigantic piece of machinery is 35,000 feet in the air, and I'm sitting in it.

After reading ... accounts ... of minor accidents of light, it is little wonder that the average man would far rather watch someone else fly and read of the narrow escapes from death when some pilot has had a forced landing or a blowout, than to ride himself. Even in the postwar days of now obsolete equipment, nearly all of the serious accidents were caused by inexperienced pilots who where then allowed to fly or attempt to fly-without license or restrictions about anything they could coax into the air.

The way Leo figured it, he spent more time crashing than he did flying. If there was a rewards card for frequent crashers, he'd be, like, double platinum level.

Flying is one of the safest jobs in the Army as long as you don't drop out. If you do drop out, you are a dead man, and dropping out means, usually, that you have made a mistake or let go of your grip.

Airplanes may kill you, but they ain't likely to hurt you.

Black boxes are really important to our investigators. The cockpit voice recorder can give us insight into what's going on with the crew in the cockpit. The flight data recorders can give us insight into what's happening with the performance of the aircraft.

You know, being a test pilot isn't always the healthiest business in the world.

I think when you see an aircraft fire, these angry, black puffs of smoke, knowing that one of them could kill you that you - you - you understand the seriousness of the mission. And you understand your own mortality.

In addition to surviving the Forrestal, McCain has survived three other plane disasters, including being shot down over enemy territory.

Trouble in the air is very rare. It is hitting the ground that causes it.