Q. I heard that if someone is in a car that spins out on the Highway and miraculously does not get hit by another car, one does not recite Birchas Hagomel. But if one is struck by a car and survives, he would be required to recite Birchas Hagomel. By contrast, if someone flies in a plain over seas, he recites Birchas Hagomel, even if the plain did not encounter any problems. Please explain. Also, would hitting the guardrail be the same as being hit by another car.

A. In Shulchan Aruch O.CH. 219,9 and Mishnah B’rurah  ibid. 32, the Halacha dictates that we should recite Hagomel when encountering and experiencing a factual and real danger, and being saved from it even if the deliverance was not seen as a miracle, such as a wall falling on someone or an incident with dangerous armed robbers. See also Piskey Teshuvot ibid. and 318, 10.

Harav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a is of the opinion that if someone is indeed in a car that spins out on the highway and miraculously does not get hit by another car, he does not recite this Brocho, however if he did hit the guardrail and there was damage done to the vehicle he should bless Hagomel.

As for why if someone flies in a plane over seas, he recites Birchas Hagomel, even if the plain did not encounter any problems, see Igros Moishe O. Ch. 2,59 who explains that flying in itself is being in a medium where we cannot survive  at all naturally without the airplane. For other rationale see also Chelkas Yakov O.Ch. 55, Minchas Itzchak 2,47. Tzitz Eliezer 11,14 and Yaviah Omer O.Ch. 2,14.

It is preferable to recite this Brocho within the first three days of the occurrence, however  after the fact, it could be said even after thirty days, as long as he still remembers and feels happiness and relief. (Aruch Hashulchan ibid. Piskey Teshuvot ibid.

  Rabbi A. Bartfeld – Revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a.