I should have known this was too controversial of a subject. My Bad. It was not my intent to upset anyone. It was a legitimate question. My most humble apologies. As for my location, I prefer to keep that private.

Emergency off-airport landings are different and often more survivable than crashes. That would be my primary situation to prepare against.

Snake,

LEARN TO FLY!!!

Yes, most crashes are deadly, but they don't need to be. In over 20 years of SAR with Civil Air Patrol in the Rockies, many survived the crash, and many more could have if they had known how to deal with a glider (with a very poor glide ratio). My father started flying when they were "unexpected landings", not crashes. Lost 2 B-17's and several other aircraft during WWII. Put them all down and never lost a crewmember. His contention was that you could land an airplane anywhere and walk away from it. I think he was pretty close to right. It is true that most crashes are not survived, but most survival kits are owned by pilots who will probably not have a crash - because they are planning ahead and avoid the problem. So, in a way the survival kit helps to prevent the accident ;-). It is certainly a sign. Just like being on this forum.

The biggest mistake is not flying the aircraft to the ground. Stall/Spin is not the way to walk away from it. The second is trying to save the airplane.

Respectfully,

Jerry

Why spend hundreds of dollars? One answer would be, "because you are worth it"... But preparedness doesn't always have to be expensive. Thoughtful preparations and organization can be accomplished for very little money.

I don't own a plane, so when I fly non-commercial, I am only concerned with personal survival preparations. Most of it is really simple. Don't wear synthetics. Keep PSK items on your person, with nothing bulging. Learn exit procedures. Be aware...

Hey Jerry,
IF I ever get back in one of those flying death traps known as small aircraft it will be with a parachute, survival vest and an AR-15. There are simply safer ways to travel. You have valid points and I thank you for them and your kind response. Your father sounds like a great guy with some great adventures. Thanks again.

Snake,

I don't know where you live, but in this hemisphere the light aircraft is one of the safest ways to travel. Particularly when compared to a car.

Respectfully,

Jerry

P.S. Why would you want to carry an AR? Not a very ideal survival tool, particularly in the woods.

Hey Hiker,
I do all that. Commercial crashes are even worse. The only one I've heard of having survivors was the soccer team in the Andes. And we ALL know how that one turned out.

I live in the southwest. The AR would serve as hunting and defense. I'm comfortable with it.

"Fly it until the last piece stops moving."

There was a Korean airline crash which impacted a hillside short of the runway on Guam that had survivors too. According to Korean Air Flight 801 on Wiki and the Korean Air Flight 801 Official Crash site there were 26 survivors. Not a simple off-airport landing, but people did survive.

The point is to take whatever cards you're dealt following a crash and continue playing the game. Your question indicates you are looking at the odds and throwing in the towel before the game starts.

The event my aviation survival kit is designed for is a water ditching. It's based on a Switlik survival vest and has more signalling ability than the vest I wore while on active duty. Following a ditching at sea or jumping out of a plane before a crash, I'll take a PLB, GPS, radio and signal mirror long before I'd even think about an AR. I hope to be found and rescued long before I need to start hunting sustenance.