What invention has most helped flight safety?

Question: In the past 30 years, what one invention or improvement do you think has most improved aviation safety? – submitted by reader Tom, Savannah, Georgia

Answer: The installation of Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS), also known as Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS), nearly eliminated the controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accident. Until the introduction of EGPWS, CFIT accidents were one of the most common. It enhanced safety dramatically.

If you expand the time frame, it’s the jet engine, which came into commercial service in 1954 and made aviation significantly safer.

Q: With unexpected in-flight turbulence occurring regularly, why hasn’t securing seat belts from takeoff to touchdown been made mandatory? – Ric Guy, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

A: Nearly every air-safety professional I know is a very strong advocate for keeping the seat belt loosely fastened throughout the flight. I do on every flight.

Making it mandatory would be difficult for the regulators. The political oversight of the regulator makes such regulations extremely difficult to pass. This is particularly true in the U.S.

Q: Is there an accurate way to compare safety records between Boeing and Airbus? – Brian, Portland, Oregon

A: Calculating the rate of accidents per million departures can normalize the accident rates. You will find that the major manufacturers have a very low and comparable rate.

John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company.