We all wonder about how safe it really is to fly - I know...the safest form of travel - but....why is it that it takes a tragedy like the Alaska Airlines crash to correct a problem with an aircraft?

Now that this has happened, we're hearing about the stabalizer system on MD-80's being a fairly frequent problem (American flight returns to Phoenix this week due to this problem, read about another flight - can't recall where - that had a problem with this system on takeoff and had to return to make an emergency landing).

Do you really think that these problems just started on Monday? I expect the problem has been known by the airlines. It's the media that should keep a check on these types of problems and let us - the flying public - know about it.

I think it is inexcusable for the FAA to allow these maintenance problems to exist AT ALL. I don't care how much it costs, when they identify a problem, they should require that it be checked and repaired within a very short time (maybe 18 days, not 18 months which was the directive on the stabilizer problem).

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Traveler113