I'm sure they could, but it comes down to human psychology. There are about a million and a half things that could be done to significantly reduce injury and are within reach of cost and technology for us to do but many people will not accept it.

For example, did you know if you reversed the orientation of the airline seats so that they faced backwards would significantly prevent death and injury in a big way, especially if the plane plows into the ground headfirst? People won't allow it, it's too disconcerting to fly "backwards." It would prevent people from getting split into two by their seatbelts, and prevent people from flying into a bulkhead at hundreds of miles an hour if their seatbelt fails or if a child is being held in their laps. And why even allow children to be "held in the lap" ? Even babies should pay full fare and get full protection in the event of a crash right? People won't allow it. Why have windows, these are essentially holes in the side of an otherwise strong structure, plugged with plastic. People won't allow it. The luggage compartments should lock automatically when the e-brake on the plane is disengaged, because when air turbulence or a crash occurs, heavy metal luggage comes flying out, decapitating people. People won't allow the luggage to be locked away. The latest small aircraft are equipt with a parachute....for the *entire plane* -- so that when something goes wrong, the parachute comes out and lands the plane vertically. It completely and utterly trashes the plane, but saves everyone on board. Airliners have demonstrably been shown to be landable entirely by autopilots using GPS. Military planes like those used in afghanistan can be controlled entirely by remote control. If cruise missiles can fly at mach 10, 20 feet from the ground, avoiding trees and buildings, travel hundreds to thousands of miles and hit a target the size of a pea, then certainly it is within the capability of autopilots to safely maneuver commercial passenger jets. Sheesh, even for autopilots to take over in the event of an emergency. But people won't allow it.

Calvin