The decade from 2010 to 2019 saw some remarkably ambitious initiatives in all realms of aviation. While some, like the creation of the Gulfstream G650 ultra long-range jet, were spectacular successes, others, like the saga of the Solar Impulse global giants, were less so. Still, they reminded us that great accomplishments come only after overcoming great obstacles, which makes the successes all the sweeter.
3. A Decade Without A Fatal US Crash
All of the controversy surrounding the crash of two Boeing 737 jetliners did much to detract attention from the fact that safety in the United States commercial airliner world has been nearly perfect, no fatalities in crashes since 2009 when a Colgan Air 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 passengers and crew and one person on the ground. There has not been a fatal crash of a US passenger plane since. The lone fatality came in 2018, when the left engine of a Boeing 737 operating as Southwest 1380 experienced an uncontained failure that breached the cabin, killing a passenger after which the pilot, Tammie Jo Shults, and copilot Darrin Ellisor, successfully maneuvered the greatly compromised plane back safely to Philadelphia International.
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