How likely are you to die on a plane? These statistics may ease your fears

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - An engine crack on a Southwest plane two weeks ago led to a harrowing ride for dozens of passengers, and ended in tragedy for one woman who died after she was nearly sucked out of the plane.

The incident may have left you weary to hop on a plane again-- but should it?

For some, the fear of flying is very real, but these statistics may put that into perspective for you.

The odds of even being in a plane crash are one in 11 million.

To put that into perspective, your chance of being struck by lightning in your lifetime is one in 3,000.

Experts have been saying for years that flying commercial is safer than driving.

The FAA says before this recent death, there had been zero fatalities aboard U.S. commercial flights since 2009.

The FAA says it was the longest fatality-free stretch in aviation history.

Cleveland 19 compared those numbers to driving.

In 2017 alone, the National Safety Council estimated 40,000 people across the country died in car accidents.

Here in Ohio, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reports 974 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2016, its latest year of statistics.

The National Safety Council says car crashes are the fifth highest cause of death for Americans-- your odds are one in 102.

Your chances of dying on a train drop dramatically to one in 178,741.

And your chances of dying on an airplane, are even lower, one in 205,552.

That statistic includes all planes-- from small twin-engines, to private jets and commercial planes.

An NTSB study found the odds of dying on a commercial flight due to an accident or crash is one in 29.4 million.

The Aviation Safety Network says 2017 was the safest year ever in aviation.

So if you actually are in a plane crash, what are your chances of surviving?

The NTSB says the odds are pretty good-- at more than 95 percent.

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