As a private pilot I feel MUCH safer in a small plane than on a big passenger Jet. Stats do NOT back that up, however.
Reason - you can set a small plane down just about anywhere. So unless the damn plane explodes in mid-air you've got a good chance, better than good actually. On a big passenger jet not so much... if you can't make an airport you've got a big problem.
In my plane crash... (I was not the pilot in command), we knew we couldn't make a road, pavement or dirt, and were going to come down in a barley field... and ACROSS the borders set up for irrigation.... but not once did I think it would be that bad. Neither did the pilot. But of course we were far too busy planning to make the crash as gentle as possible and not worrying about 'worst case'. Had we been in a Jet 'worst case' would have been my only thought. - JamesJM
