A mid-air collision is an aviation accident in which two or more aircraft come into contact during flight. Due to the relatively high velocities involved and any subsequent impact on the ground or sea, very severe damage or the total destruction of at least one of the aircraft involved usually results. The chance of surviving a major mid-air collision is virtually nil in the absence of ejector seats and parachutes, as indicated below.
The potenti...
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A mid-air collision is an aviation accident in which two or more aircraft come into contact during flight. Due to the relatively high velocities involved and any subsequent impact on the ground or sea, very severe damage or the total destruction of at least one of the aircraft involved usually results. The chance of surviving a major mid-air collision is virtually nil in the absence of ejector seats and parachutes, as indicated below.
The potential for a mid-air collision is increased by miscommunication, error in navigation, and deviations from flight plans. However, the odds are fantastically slim that two aircraft could collide in a large and virtually empty three dimensional space, making mid-air collisions very rare events compared to other types of aviation incidents.
There are many types and causes of mid-air collisions. On some occasions, military aircraft conducting training flights inadvertently collide with civilian aircraft. Before 1958, civilian air traffic controllers...
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