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Travel safety concerns sparked by recent incidents
FOX 26 Reporter Matthew Seedorff spoke with a retired Southwest Airlines captain about the situations.
HOUSTON - Over the last few weeks in Houston, air travelers have experienced at least two hard-landings and an engine fire.
Cell phone video taken last week shows a Southwest Airlines flight with a right engine in flames. The aircraft landed safely back at Houston Hobby, moments after takeoff.
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Southwest plane flying from Houston catches fire
A scary moment for some Houston passengers as they were headed to Mexico.
In addition, a United Airlines flight last month experienced a hard landing. In a photo provided by the NTSB, you can see clear damage to the plane’s fuselage.
"I don’t think it’s the number of events that are increasing," said Kenneth Wells, a retired Southwest pilot. "I think it’s, we have the ability to see it real time."
In recent years, airlines have experienced a shortage in hiring pilots. We asked Wells if he believes a shortage of pilots or other workers could be contributing to incidents in the air.
"To get the numbers in the doors, it’s a fact that we’re going to have pilots with less experience because there’s a shortage," said Wells. "That doesn’t mean they should get inadequate training. The airline industry, it’s their responsibility to make sure every airline pilot is trained."
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On Monday, the FAA ordered 90 airports nationwide to hold runway safety meetings. This after a concerning New York Times report revealed an increase in close calls on runways.
No serious injuries were reported in any of the incidents mentioned above.
"I don’t think we need to worry," said Wells. "But, if we start getting lackadaisical and allow people to take shortcuts, then I think it would be something we want to worry about."