3 ms·

Do airplanes regularly collide where it doesn't end in death? I can't remember many midair collisions where the planes continued flying with minor damage. I see

Do airplanes regularly collide where it doesn't end in death? I can't remember many midair collisions where the planes continued flying with minor damage. I see where you're coming from asking for a warning, but I also feel like people should just assume airplane collision = death.

scarier 4y ago
Often enough that it isn't good practice to assume one outcome or the other.
- superfrank 4y ago
  Why? If something happens X happens 90% of the time and Y happens 10% of the time, I think it's safe to assume X, especially where there's little downside to a false positive.
eesmith 4y ago
Nothing in the link description said it was mid-air. My first thought on reading was it was on the ground, like in "East Midlands Airport: Taxiing planes collide in morning fog" at https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-48104527 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-48104527 or "Two planes collide at Lagos International Airport" at https://dailypost.ng/2020/07/30/two-planes-collide-at-lagos-international-airport/ https://dailypost.ng/2020/07/30/two-planes-collide-at-lagos-... . Both during taxiing. I suspect most airplane collisions occur on the ground, but that's a wild-ass guess.
SoftTalker 4y ago
Probably rare but it happens. I remember this was pretty big news when it happened: https://nypost.com/2021/05/13/two-planes-collide-midair-in-colorado-killing-no-one/ https://nypost.com/2021/05/13/two-planes-collide-midair-in-c... Edit: above link reports on midair collision of a Cirrus SR22 and a Swearingen Metroliner in May 2021.
WalterBright 4y ago
B-17s collided and died in WW2 a lot because of the close formations, often in poor visibility.
fivefifty 4y ago
While you are mostly correct there have been some infamous ones such as the 1983 Negev incident where an F-15 and A-4 Skyhawk collided and the F-15 landed without a wing https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/that-time-an-f-15-landed-without-a-wing/ https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/that-time-an-f-15-landed-withou... or that time a couple of F/A-18 Hornets collided and both managed to land with substantial damage https://theaviationgeekclub.com/u-s-naval-aviator-explains-how-he-and-his-wingman-were-able-to-rtb-after-their-f-a-18-fighters-collided-during-air-combat-training/ https://theaviationgeekclub.com/u-s-naval-aviator-explains-h...

scarier 4y ago

Often enough that it isn't good practice to assume one outcome or the other.

superfrank 4y ago
Why? If something happens X happens 90% of the time and Y happens 10% of the time, I think it's safe to assume X, especially where there's little downside to a false positive.

eesmith 4y ago

Nothing in the link description said it was mid-air. My first thought on reading was it was on the ground, like in "East Midlands Airport: Taxiing planes collide in morning fog" at https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-48104527 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-48104527 or "Two planes collide at Lagos International Airport" at https://dailypost.ng/2020/07/30/two-planes-collide-at-lagos-international-airport/ https://dailypost.ng/2020/07/30/two-planes-collide-at-lagos-... . Both during taxiing. I suspect most airplane collisions occur on the ground, but that's a wild-ass guess.

SoftTalker 4y ago

Probably rare but it happens. I remember this was pretty big news when it happened: https://nypost.com/2021/05/13/two-planes-collide-midair-in-colorado-killing-no-one/ https://nypost.com/2021/05/13/two-planes-collide-midair-in-c... Edit: above link reports on midair collision of a Cirrus SR22 and a Swearingen Metroliner in May 2021.

WalterBright 4y ago

B-17s collided and died in WW2 a lot because of the close formations, often in poor visibility.

fivefifty 4y ago

While you are mostly correct there have been some infamous ones such as the 1983 Negev incident where an F-15 and A-4 Skyhawk collided and the F-15 landed without a wing https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/that-time-an-f-15-landed-without-a-wing/ https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/that-time-an-f-15-landed-withou... or that time a couple of F/A-18 Hornets collided and both managed to land with substantial damage https://theaviationgeekclub.com/u-s-naval-aviator-explains-how-he-and-his-wingman-were-able-to-rtb-after-their-f-a-18-fighters-collided-during-air-combat-training/ https://theaviationgeekclub.com/u-s-naval-aviator-explains-h...