Planes have numerous advantages, particularly in the early days when mass adoption was still in question: Foremost, they're smaller. This means when one cra

Planes have numerous advantages, particularly in the early days when mass adoption was still in question: Foremost, they're smaller. This means when one crashes, fewer people die (remember, I'm talking about the early days; Tenerife doesn't count.) Because they're smaller, they cost less. That means fewer investors get hosed when there's an accident, and it's relatively easy for innovators to find funding for new airplanes despite the crashes. Because airplanes were so much smaller and cheaper, it was even practical for a one or two man team to fund and construct their own in their garage; an airship is a much more demanding undertaking. Because they're smaller, they're easier to store inside during bad weather. They're also faster, which makes it easier to evade bad weather and also means you don't have to anticipate bad weather so far in advance. They can land almost anywhere, even in some farmers field, but airships can only be moored in a prearranged locations. That gives an airplane many more options for dealing with emergencies, which contributes to a perception of relative safety.