Mxsmanic wrote:
I'm actually almost pathologically safety-conscious in
vehicles, and I would be an extraordinarily safe pilot.

That's great, but being an "extraordinarily safe pilot" doesn't mean
accidents won't happen. There's absolutely no way that even the safest
pilot can anticipate ALL mechanical failures; even the very best
aircraft mechanics can't anticipate ALL mechanical failures. You can't
"make sure" your airplane is going to be 100% safe for the duration of
ALL your flights any more than you can "make sure" your car won't break
down every time you leave your driveway, despite all your and your
mechanic's best efforts.