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By

Adam Pitluk,

Fears of flying often rise to the surface in the wake of air disasters, such as an American Airlines plane that caught fire on March 13, the crash of a Delta Air Lines jet on Feb. 17 and the

collision of an American Airlines flight with a military helicopter on Jan. 29.

In the case of this week’s American Airlines fire, the Federal Aviation Administration said an engine caught fire as the plane taxied to the gate, the Associated Press reported. The FAA said

the American Airlines flight landed safely after being diverted to Denver International Airport. Twelve people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. On the Delta flight, which

flipped over at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, all 80 people on board survived. On Jan. 29, 60 passengers and four crew members, as well as three soldiers died in the midair collision near

Washington, D.C.

Incidents such as these and the loss of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight that resulted in depressurization in the cabin in January 2024 are jarring and scary. If you’re scared about

flying, that’s understandable, but experts have some advice that should reassure you.

To help stem fear, there are actions you, as a passenger, can take.

Professor Anthony Brickhouse teaches aerospace safety with an emphasis on air crash survivability at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, one of the top five aerospace engineering schools

in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. He instructs his students — many of whom will enter the aviation field — about various ways to survive an in-flight incident or, in the

worst-case scenario, a plane crash. He says being properly prepared starts before you even get to the airport.

“Passengers should seriously consider what they’re wearing,” Brickhouse says, donning an Embry-Riddle polo shirt. “This shirt that I have on: It feels absolutely amazing. But it’s polyester.

It’s synthetic, and synthetic fibers could be really bad in a fire situation. So I recommend that passengers consider wearing cotton or natural fiber.”

Other safety tips Brickhouse recommends:

Follow flight attendant directions and keep your seat belt fastened. “I always defer to the flight attendants, who are the professionals.”Passengers should wear close-toed shoes and keep

them on, especially during takeoff and landing. If you must evacuate the craft quickly, you don’t want to be in flip-flops or worse, barefoot.Always eat a meal before you get on a flight. If

an emergency happens, you don’t want to be sluggish because you didn’t eat.Once you board the aircraft and take your seat, be sure to note the closest exit, even if it’s behind you. “I even

go as far as recommending to count the rows to the emergency exit. Therefore, if you don’t have any visibility, you can hopefully navigate your way out,” he says.Pay attention to the flight

attendants’ safety briefing. “It’s really frustrating to me when I fly and I look around and passengers have their AirPods in, and they’re not paying attention to the flight attendants.

Something the flight attendant says could save your life.”If you need to evacuate the plane, don’t grab your carry-on luggage. It significantly slows down the evacuation process.