The Nation : Skies Less Safe Today, Pilot Survey Says

Sixty-eight percent of pilots responding to a survey said flying has become more dangerous since deregulation began in 1978, but many stressed that they continue to regard it as the safest way to travel. The survey of 1,360 pilots with air transport certificates was published in the combined editions of the Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution. Eighty-two percent said they never had been pressured to fly a mechanically unsound plane, and 77% rated maintenance as good or excellent. Sixteen percent said they had been pressured to fly unsafe planes, while 19% rated maintenance as fair or poor. The survey also found 47% said air travel is just as safe now as before the 1981 firings of striking air traffic controllers, and 11% said it is safer. Thirty-nine percent said safety has declined since the strike.