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Magazine report ranks Charlotte airport 13th most dangerous in country WSOC TV

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Thank you for voting on wsoctv.com. Do you feel safe when flying in or out of Charlotte airport? Do you feel safe when flying in or out of Charlotte-Dougals? Yes No I don't fly

A recent report in Travel and Leisure magazine says Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is the 13th most dangerous airport in the country.

The magazine looked at the latest FAA numbers on runway incidents, including things like near misses and security breaches on tarmacs. The report says Charlotte-Douglas had 35 runway incidents over the past five years.

A big one happened when 16-year-old Delvonte Tisdale stowed away in the wheel well of a plane and was later found dead in Boston.

SLIDESHOW: History Of Incidents Involving Charlotte Airport, Flights

Because of incidents like that, the magazine ranked Charlotte-Douglas more dangerous at No.13 than Atlanta-Hartsfield, which is No. 19 on its list.

The top three most dangerous airports on the list were Chicago-O'Hare, Cleveland-Hopkins and Los Angeles International.

Channel 9 shared the news with travelers, and many didn't seem worried by the report.

"It's not something that crosses my mind," Andy Carswell said. "Flying doesn't bother me."

"The more traffic you have, the more likely there are to be close calls," Amanda Kreunun said. "But from everything I've seen, they do a great job."

Frequent business traveler Ron Griggs said he considers the airport very safe.

"I feel the safety is good," Griggs said. "(I) travel three times a month -- always out of Charlotte."

Air traffic controller Chad Iames was also unfazed.

"In five years, (that number) is pretty small, I would think," he said.

Griggs agreed.

"I think based on percentages, I'm safer flying than I am driving in my car down here," he said.

The FAA released the following statement regarding the report:

"The Federal Aviation Administration collects information about runway incidents at the nation's airports to find ways to further enhance safety in a very safe system. Over the past decade, the aviation community has successfully worked together to reduce the number of serious runway incursions by more than 90 percent. In 2010, three serious runway incidents nationwide involved commercial aircraft during millions of commercial operations. The FAA develops specific safety efforts for each individual airport and believes the total number of incidents is too small compared to the number of operations to provide any useful comparison of airport safety."

A spokesperson for the airport also sent Channel 9 a response to the ranking, saying when the FAA compares Charlotte-Douglas to similar size airports, Charlotte ranks the lowest on serious runway incidents.

Travel and Leisure's top 15 most dangerous airports

1. Chicago O'Hare 2. Cleveland Hopkins 3. Los Angeles International 4. San Francisco International 5. Honolulu International 6. Miami International 7. Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International 8. Phoenix Sky Harbor 9. Boston Logan 10. Dallas/Fort Worth 11. Chicago Midway 12. Denver International 13. Charlotte-Douglas International 14. Philadelphia International 15. Newark Liberty

To view the complete rankings and Travel & Leisure's story, click here.

Previous Stories:April 20, 2011: Passengers Say They Were Stuck On Plane For HoursApril 20, 2011: Attorney: Tisdale's Family Disappointed With CMPD Stowaway ReportMarch 17, 2011: Police, Airport Examine Weekend Security BreachMarch 15, 2011: Airport Fence Cut In BurglaryNovember 1, 2010: Charlotte-Bound Plane Lands Safely After Bird Strike

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