Airplane accidents used to be common. Now they are a very rare event. In fact, you are more likely to die from driving a car, taking the train, or crossing the road. If there is ever evidence that prayer works in protecting people is to look at the safety records of flight for people going or returning from Hajj. I have been on one of them, it is a sea of people dressed in white, praying and blessing Allah. They are the cream of faith all in one place.. No plane would take off without hundreds reciting Alfatiha (a surah from the Quran) and chanting Allah Akbar… But where was Allah to save them?
22 January 1973 that crashed while attempting to land at Kano International Airport from Mecca during Hajj in Nigeria, as 176 passengers and crew perished in the crash. There were 26 survivors.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kano_air_disaster
4 December 1974, the aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-55CF, crashed into a mountain shortly before landing, killing all 191 people aboard – 182 Indonesian hajj pilgrims bound for Mecca, and 9 crew members.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinair_Flight_138
26 November 1979, the Boeing 707-340C serving the route crashed shortly after takeoff from Jeddah International Airport. All 156 people on board were killed.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_International_Airlines_Flight_740
19 August 1980: All 287 passengers and 14 crew on board the died.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudia_Flight_163
Nigeria on 11 July 1991, which caught fire shortly after takeoff from King Abdulaziz International Airport and crashed while attempting to return for an emergency landing, killing all 247 passengers and 14 crew members.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria_Airways_Flight_2120
Praying never saved a plane. On the other hand, learning from accidents, perfecting the designs, better health and safety has helped reduce it to become a very rare event… Not Allah, but science.