Despite Monday's plane crash in New York, which startled the nation, Penn State students say they are not afraid to fly home for the holidays.

Clifton Tay (senior-operation information system management and international business), who lives in Hawaii, said he grew up flying and still is very comfortable getting on an airplane despite the recent crashes.

"I just keep telling myself that flying in an airplane is safer than driving in a car," he said.

Tay will be flying to meet his family in Las Vegas during Thanksgiving break and will be flying to Hawaii over Christmas break.

"I have no choice if I want to go home," he said.

Other students said the risk of flying is worth it since they will be visiting family.

"I live 22 (driving) hours from my family," said Cara Crumbliss (freshman-science). "If I don't fly, I don't see them."

Crumbliss said she bought her tickets to fly home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas a week after the Sept. 11 attacks and has not been scared to fly since then.

"I flew home three weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks and the flights were really empty. I was searched twice, but I got back safe. What happened in New York was an accident, and accidents happen. I'm not going to stop flying because this happened," Crumbliss said.

Even with the increase in airport security since Sept. 11, incidents involving travelers carrying knives and stun guns through security checkpoints have occurred, but those traveling to Chicago feel they will continue to be safe.

Jeff Giovannelli (junior-management science and information systems and international business), who lives outside Chicago, said he is not nervous about flying into O'Hare airport during winter break because he feels security there will now be even better than it was in the past.

"I'm really comfortable flying into O'Hare; there's so much security there now it's ridiculous," he said. "I don't think the crash in Queens was terrorist-related, and I believe flying now is safer with all the security."

Brian Genduso (junior-architectural engineering), who also lives in the Chicago area, said the New York and Chicago incidents have made him think more about flying, but he will continue to fly home for Thanksgiving.

"I'm not too concerned about it because I realize there's so much air traffic that goes on, the chance of it happening (to me) is really small," Genduso said.

Other students said they might be a little nervous about flying but are willing to board the plane home anyway.

"I think I might be a little bit apprehensive because it's always in the back of your head since this just happened," said Kimberly Solsbury (senior-public relations). "But I feel safe because of the places I'm going."

Solsbury lives in Kentucky and said the airport there is really empty compared to airports in New York and Washington, D.C.

"It's not a high traffic area. Nothing really happens in Kentucky," Solsbury said.