I hadn't read the Wiki article about inerting systems up until now. It's interesting to me that the prediction is interting systems will prevent 8 of 9 expecte

I hadn't read the Wiki article about inerting systems up until now. It's interesting to me that the prediction is interting systems will prevent 8 of 9 expected wrecks in the next 50 years. I'd argue that modern aircraft are safe especially after you factor in how many hours these things fly compared to the number of deaths. Of course, air travel has become significantly safer over time. Check out the early history of 727 hull losses. While the 747 had a number of poor designs (especially early on), the deadliest 747 wrecks were due to pilot error (e.g. Tenerife).