In the ‘70s and ‘80s, the technology was significantly less than what it is today, leading to a higher number of crashes. Nowadays, aircraft manufacture is governed by extremely stringent quality criteria like the AS9100 standards, which partly regulate the procurement and supply of aviation parts. These standards have enabled the aerospace and defense industries to increase operational efficiency by lowering production costs; leading to reduced rework, fewer rejections, and ultimately only top-quality products.
Furthermore, remember the long-standing tale that birds can completely jam plane engines if they get caught in the fans? That’s absolutely bogus. Modern aviation testing processes involve throwing foreign objects through the jet engines to ensure they maintain full functionality. Additionally, even if the engines were to stop at a cruising height (35,000 feet), a plane is designed to glide for 30 minutes before it lands.