Why Airplane Accidents Occur

Most often, it is the human error. The pilot may be overconfident due to his vast experience in flying, which may make him neglectful in the air. He may think he has enough fuel to reach the destination, when actually the plane is running out of fuel. Sometimes, the pilot may have to do forced landing due to fuel shortage, which is extremely dangerous at times.

Second, structural flaws in the plane are also one reason why planes crash. There may be extra load on the plane which results in its malfunctioning. McCormik and Papadakis (2003) assert that, "Any aircraft flying can be torn apart by pulling back hard on the wheel at an excessive speed and thereby producing loads exceeding the ultimate values for which it was designed. A pilot may fly through severe turbulence, like a thunder storm, thereby causing high loads" (p.4).

Bird strikes are another cause of plane crashes. They not only obstruct the view, but also get stuck in the engine of the plane, thus making the pilot decide for forced landing. U.S. Airways Flight # 1549 made a forced landing in 2009 in New York's Hudson River, because it was struck by migrating geese. Moreover, certain weather conditions are also harmful for flights. Strong wind, downdraught, rains, thunderstorms, and lightening, all can cause major plane crashes, like the one happened recently in Pakistan with the Bhoja Airlines.

Reference:

McCormick, B.W. & Papadakis, M.P. (2003). Aircraft Accident Reconstruction and Litigation. USA: Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company.