Handling Tragedy in the News

Hi all!

I wanted to write a post about some of the tragedies we see in the new and their coverage in the news and other media outlets. The recent tragic plane crash in August 2024 with the Voepass airlines ATR-72 Twin Turboprop in Brazil shook me a bit. It always does. I don't think that will ever change. And I think that is okay.

I wanted to share what goes through my mind and see if I can provide any helpful advice to others who see these tragedies and think "I can't fly ever again." This is an obvious first reaction for many people, especially fearful fliers. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. These accidents are horrific and devastating to those involved, their families and friends, and anyone impacted by these tragedies. My thoughts go out to all of those impacted by these events. I have found it hard to write this post as I do not want to ever minimize the events or undermine the true damage these things cause.

Whenever I hear of a plane crash in the news, my heart goes to my stomach. I get anxious, sad, and can't think straight. My mind goes in so many directions. I picture those last moments on the plane and what the passengers must have been going through. I think of the people who may have lost their lives. I think of the family/friends/loved ones receiving the news. I picture people getting on the plane not knowing this was coming. I question what went wrong. I question why this had to happen. I put myself in the shoes of the passengers. I take a deep breath and am thankful it didn't happen to me. I then question if flying is safe and if I should be confident in flying anymore. I threaten to give up on flying again. These thoughts and feelings tend to last for the rest of the day. I do eventually recover from this mentally and emotionally, but there is a solid stretch of pain. And again, this has no comparison to what those people on the plane and their loved ones go through.

Next, I shift into explanation mode. I search accident data and determine that this was a rare event that doesn't happen much. I believe in the case of the Brazil accident it had been the deadliest air crash since January 2023 (so 19 months later). It pains me to think of these people and their lives as numbers, and that's not at all what I intend. However, I do have to level set that the number of deaths from plane crashes is extremely low every year, and in some years none are reported. I think about how most plane crashes are not large named airlines, they tend to be smaller planes like turbo props, helicopters, two to four seaters, etc. I think about how these are typically some fluke of something not working, and something so rare to happen that it's completely out of everyone's control. I also remind myself how there is inherent risk in everything we do. If we were to worry about flying safety because of a few rare accidents here and there, we would never drive a car again (which is much less safe).

But as we all know, especially in the fear of flying community, that talking through these things doesn't necessarily heal us of our fear or concerns. We have to fight to get back out there and do it again. How do we do that, especially when we are so impacted by these events? This is even harder when the news and media outlets disproportionately cover these accidents. They're tragic and should be covered, but they are rare events, which makes them news. We don't often see a ton of coverage on a typical car accident. If it's a plane, it's everywhere for days and days, and we can't escape it. Again, I'm not here to debate what is news or undermine the tragedy, but we can't let the level of coverage skew the underlying statistics and prevalence of these events.

I will leave you with some tips on what I do to work out of these tough times.

1. Do not replay the events from different perspectives, especially with you as the main character

   1. It's hard to 'just not do something' and is easier said than done

   2. If you find yourself playing these events out in your head, stop, think about something else or do something else, and try to interrupt the thought stream

   3. Picture all of the safe flights you have had with no issue; these are extremely (extremely) more likely to occur

2. Remind yourself that the news coverage is looking for a story to share, and this is getting coverage because of it's rareness of occurring

3. Compare the situations of what happened versus your typical traveling

   1. What type of airlines do you fly versus the ones that have accidents?

   2. What are the types of planes do you fly versus the ones that have accidents?

   3. What country are you flying in and how safe are those compared to others?

4. Take a deep breath and remember that you are safe, and will be safe

5. Do not spend time in the 'what-if' zone non-stop; if need-be, allow yourself a 10 minute period to work through all of the rumination and what-if's, and then move on

6. Wait for more information! Typically we do not have all of the information on these tragedies. Not that information always helps, but there may be more reasons for these things than what we initially think

7. Accept that risk is inherent in everything, and flying is one of the safest forms of travel; accidents happen and are devastating, but you could fly every day the rest of your life and never have an issue

8. Think about your destinations in flying and where you want to visit, and the happiness that will bring