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CT travelers have mixed emotions about air travel after DC crash

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While many people at Bradley Airport Thursday said they had no concerns about flying in the wake of the crash at Reagan National, others said they were a bit anxious as they waited to board their planes.

As the investigation continues into Wednesday night’s devastating crash in Washington D.C., we’re hearing from travelers here in Connecticut who are setting off on flights so soon after the tragedy.

“How could this happen?” asked Jane Banning, who was flying to San Diego. “That’s pretty scary that they were so close to landing.”

It was a busy Thursday at the American Airlines baggage check at Bradley International Airport, hours after a commercial plane collided with a military helicopter mid-air near Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

Katy Adams, of West Hartford, was set to fly into DCA on Thursday morning, but her flight was delayed after a ground stop was issued.

“We were planning to wake up at 6 for an early flight to Reagan National, and then meeting our daughter and connecting to Miami,” Adams said. “We saw the notice that we’d been rerouted to a much later flight, like, 1:45 going to Charlotte. At first, we didn’t know why, then we saw the news.”

Her daughter lives in Washington D.C. and was distraught over the crash.

“She was crying,” Adams said. “Just the idea that all those people died and now, here we go getting in a plane.”

She was among many feeling anxious boarding their flights at Bradley.

“I was preparing this morning just to get ready to travel and I like saw it on my email and I was like, 'wait what?' It was like the anxiety of…especially taking American,” Tavonte Phillips, of Bloomfield, said. “It’s a little nerve-wracking but, you know, just trying to just calm myself and calm my anxiety.”

Others pointed to how these types of incidents are so rare, said they feel safe.

“Quite honestly, I think air travel in the United States is ridiculously safe and I really had no qualms about getting on a plane today,” Brian Szela of Chicopee, Mass., said. “I think air travel in the United States is ultra safe.”

Travelers like Banning said they trust in their pilots.

“They’re highly trained pilots,” Banning said. “The control tower, they’re highly trained people. It was an accident. So, no I don’t have any concerns about flying today. They don’t happen that often, and I think the statistics show that you’re more apt to get into an accident riding around town than you are flying.”

Ken Gray, retired FBI Special Agent and professor at the University of New Haven, said these types of crashes are extremely rare, and shouldn’t cause panic.

“Midair collisions with commercial aircrafts, they're very rare incidents. I can't remember the last time one of these happened,” Gray said. “When you look at the safety record, commercial aircrafts are very safe. So, this is a very rare incident that occurred. This accident was a very rare situation and people should keep in mind that these happened very rarely.”

Several D.C. flights at Bradley were canceled after the crash, but one is expected to land on time Thursday night.

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