When flying, the passengers of a commercial airline have many more things to worry about then getting to their destination on time. They have to be concerned about their personal safety. Many politicians and airplane passengers should and are worried about airline safety. Some of these worries include what condition the plane is in, who is flying the plane, and the new threat of what some experts call, "falling baggage."

Most federal regulators give airlines flexibility, but a typical maintenance schedule is usually followed by all of the airlines according

"Falling baggage," as some experts call it, is one of the newest safety issues on board a commercial plane (Curtis, Head Injury Risks From Overhead Luggage, http://www.airsafe.com). Falling baggage is when large or oversized luggage falls from an overhead bin and hits a passenger or passengers in the head. This usually happens during a time of heavy turbulence. These incidents not only involve passengers, but sometimes flight attendants are also struck by bags. About forty-five hundred incidents of "falling baggage" have occurred in the United States in the past few years and over ten thousand worldwide. Most bags that fall are usually odd-shaped or heavy. The falling baggage can cause serve head trauma, claims Dr. Leo Rozmarvh, an orthopedic surgeon. Some other medical consequences of "falling baggage" include loss of conciseness, persistent headaches, ringing in the ears, lacerations, and dizziness.

Contrary to many peoples thinking there are not many fatal commercial airline accidents at all. During 1998 1.3 billion people flied on 18 million flights while only 10 fatal accidents occurred all year. The chance of being in a fatal accident is one in three million, says Boeing, the manufacturer of most commercial planes. A fatal accident occurs every 1.4 billion miles (Some Statistics on Air Travel Safety, http://www.boeing.com).

The FAA also has the power to issue warnings against airlines instead of fines. The warnings are usually given in less serve cases or to first-time offenders. Some experts believe that warnings do not stop the airlines from doing wrong again, but the FAA believes that it is effective and they continue to use it.

The fines that are imposed by the FAA can be very stiff, but other times they can be rather lenient. They have the authority to issue a fifty thousand-dollar fine for one violation that is found (FAA, ABC-Quarterly Enforcement Report, http://www.faa.gov). The most common violation is security, while haz-mat (hazardous materials) were the cases with the highest fines, according to FAA reports (FAA, Quarterly Enforcement Actions For 07/01/99-09/30/99, http://www.faa.gov).

to Boeing Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial planes (Maintenance Issues Related To Safety, http://www.boeing.com). Flight crews and on-board computers can usually monitor most of the planes interior components and its engines, but routine inspections are usu

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