Today, context matters

The crash at DCA was tragic. There's going to be a lot of chatter about the "dangers" of air travel, especially from people who know nearly nothing on the subject. There's going to be a lot of people grinding out The Content trying to capitalize on the mishap. We're already seeing idiots trying to get political about it.

It's important to keep this mishap in context. This is the first fatal crash of a US airline flight since December 2009. Think about all the millions of flights and billions of miles that have been flown mishap-free since then.

Statistically, you're far more likely to be killed driving to and from the airport. You're probably more likely to have the winning lottery ticket blasted out of your hand by a bolt of lightning than to die on a US airline. That last bit might be a bit hyperbolic, but you get my point.

Despite the crash yesterday, US air travel remains just as safe this morning as it was yesterday morning. Keep that in mind the next few days as this crash and the fallout dominate the news cycle. Push back on people trying to claim otherwise, and especially push back on dumb asses trying to make political hay on it.