http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5402342.stm



There is an accompanying video to this article that is available on the web. The website has a couple of snippets but the whole video is more interesting so I included the YouTube link. It was aired on the BBC a couple of years ago but I can't remember if it was discussed here.

http://tinyurl.com/59sks9

Thanks for the link.

I watch Mayday on Discovery Channel when I can. Very informative and explains the science (and human error) behind airplane crashes. I like how they stress that not one crash is ever caused by a single event...rather it is always a serious of events that cause the crash.

I used to work at McDonnell Douglas, and we had quite a few pilots as consultants. They were all military, or former military pilots. One used to be fond of saying that there are around 10 things that have to happen at the same time for a crash to occur. Any time a plane is in the air, 2 or 3 of those things are already happening...

The military, when designing transport aircraft, consider a survivable crash one in which the plane goes from 150 to 0 in a quarter of a second. Yes, you read that right. That's why military planes make everyone sit facing the rear for good back support and load distribution in a sudden stop.

The article repeats the claim that it doesn't matter where you sit. My understanding is that being on or very close to an exit row is statistically safer. Whether you survive the immediate crash depends on the unpredictable details, but if you do, getting off the plane quickly is good.

(Theoretically if you are on an exit row you may be worse off if that exit can't be used, because you will be furthest from your second-nearest exit. However, I think that's unlikely and out-weighed by the benefits if you can use it. If you are mid-way between two exits, which ever one you go for you'll have to wait for a lot of other people to evacuate in front of you.)

I don't think they were trying to say that it doesn't matter where you sit - I think they were saying that because of the unpredictability of HOW an airplane was going to crash, there is no one best place to be on the airplane. That said, your odds of getting out of plane crash go up if you are within 7 rows of an exit.

As a general rule, I like to be within 3 rows of an exit which usually means a middle of the aircraft position. The middle of the aircraft "generally" is a better place to sit if you are experiencing a lot of air turbulence rather than at the far front or far rear of the aircraft.

I fly most often on small aircraft and helicopters. My last flight was on a Beechcraft, the last flight to be allowed to land in Pensacola before it was closed due to an approaching hurricane. It was quite a flight, about an eight on the pucker meter, as multiple alarms and voice warnings sounded in the cockpit and we were buffeted about heavily and blown off the glide path on final.

As a crash rescue expert, and as someone who hates leaving my safety up to others, I always try for an exit seat, preferably an over-wing one. Theoretically, this is the structurally strongest part of the airframe. However, if you are flying in the third world and mainly worried about hijacking, I'm told exit seats are not a good plan, since that is where the cavalry may enter the aircraft.

I try to wear long sleeves and pants, in natural, non-melting fibers. I also plan to go straight over the seat backs and avoid the aisles, if possible. I also actually review the safety card and know exactly where the exits are.

Jeff