And she didn't try jumping up and down? For shame - what a dreadful waste of a golden opportunity <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

"I believe the "free-falling elevator" scenario is on a par with the "wings falling off the airplane" scenario."
Unfortunatley I never majored in physics or maths, so I can't comment any further on lifts/velocity or impact speeds! However the quote above reminds me of a Fox clip during the Califonian fires of a year or so back, where the C130 tanker plane dropping water on the fire also managed to discard its wings on a flyover. Needless to say the crew perished.
I still have the clip on Mpeg....I know its a bit morbid, but I still find it amazing to watch.

On Related Elevator Safety Matters, -I've recently been in Elevators in Two Older Buildings around here, -(One a Municipal Building!), -that Had the Phone Cut Out of the Phone Box! Which you Normally See Inside an Elevator. I Wonder if there is a Law Against That!, -or Something!?

My City and Area has a Way of Being Like That! Shame Shame!, and All! It Comes Down to the Old Saying about Trying to Fight City Hall!

Maybe Check such Phone Boxes in your Own Area's Elevators! For General Preparedness, and at Least a Looksee! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]Chris Kavanaugh[/email]

A pilot I knew was killed flying his brand new homebuilt a few years ago when one of the wings broke in half during a steep turn on final approach. But he designed and built the plane himself and he screwed up on the design parameters.

In general, if the wings are going to fall off a plane, the pilot must have violently overstressed them. It does happen, but I believe usually the pilot has either flown into a thunderstorm or gotten into a death spiral and then overstressed the airframe trying to pull out.

I don't know what would cause a C130 to lose its wings during a water drop - possibly severe turbulence from the fire?

Probably the Combination of Extensive Maneouvering Done by the Aged Aircraft During the Waterdrop!

I've Seen that Film Clip myself on the Newscasts, -a Year or so Ago! That Wing(s) Really Came Off!

But Agreed, -That is Normally So Rare in the Aviation World! As to Vastly Be a Non-Factor!

Even Then!, -as You've Said, -It's Vastly a Matter of Extreme Stresses! / Load Factors! / Extreme Manouvers!, -Which Do Such! Put a One Ton Weight on a Typical Cardboard Box! And Don't Be Surprised if it Gets Smashed! Such Extreme and Extraordinary Aircraft Stresses and Load Factors!, -Are Like That Too!

I've Read in your Profile or Somewhere that you're a Pilot! Ansd So Well Know Anyway! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]aardwolfe[/email]

RE: Squeege - I know where THAT comes from:
On 9/11 (or was it the first WTC attack) there was a group of people stuck in one of the elevator cars - NO ONE had any gear, except the window guy - they got the doors to the car open, and used the back edge of his squeege to cut through the triple layer of sheet rock that made up the elevator shafts to get out

I personally would have used my 6" folding saw <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

If we are NOT talking a building collapse situation - JUST a stuck elevator (blackout etc), the main things I'd want is a cell phone, a flashlight, a bottle of water, and a candy bar/food bar.

I'm going from memory here, but I believe the preliminary NTSB finding was metal fatigue of a type peculiar to water bombers, which suddenly lose thousands of pounds of weight with each drop, combined with the stresses of the abrupt maneuvers they have to make to avoid becoming part of the mountainside. This is one reason the majority of the multi-engine water bombers were off-line for much of the last fire season, to do detailed inspections and to revamp maintenance procedures to spot this type of fatigue before it results in another needless tragedy.

Sorry, I seem to have misunderstood the need for a squegee as I thought we were talking about cleaning ones bottom after the call of mother nature #2 on the elevator, and I know the Roman's used sea shells for that.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

This True Story Occurred During the 9-11 Attacks. (The *Second* Major WTC Attack. 2001 vs 1993).

To Make Matters More Dicey!, -in the Midst of their Extrication Process, -a Part of the Squeegie Fell Off, Falling Far Below! And they had to then Make Do with What Remained!

Were it Not For the Window Guy and his Squeegie, -I Think, as I Recall, that None would have Successfully Got Out in Time At All!

In Addition to the Items you mention, -in the Event of "Merely" being in a Stuck Elevator, -I would Add Having Something that you can Drill Hole with! Air is a Paramount Concern for me!, in any Stuck Elevator or Other Enclosure!

Perhaps some Closed Elevators Aren't Entirely Airtight. (Some Air perhaps Enters thru Cracks Etc, -in Some Elevators). But Others perhaps are Fully, -or at Least Largely and Effectively Airtight!

Those Several Executives and the Window Man, -Essentially did a Drill or Bore Out!

I Grant that since WW-2, -Elevators typically have a "Catch Mechanism", as some of you Describe. Thats All to the Well and Good! I was Somehow Thinking something like this, -that this could be SOP and the Case. Elevators are Quite Unlikely to Go Carreening to the Bottom in a Free Fall, -as a Result!

My Question though Addressed a Hypothetical "What If?!" By both the Things I've mentioned in my original Post, -and in Many of the Answers Others have Contributed, -It Looks like a Feeble Human Jump, -against the Backdrop of such a Larger, Total Fall! Will Do the One Attempting to Survive Such, -Essentially to Entirely No Good! With the Exception of Only Small Heights or Falls. Were That we Could! We Most Probably Cannot! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]kc2ixe[/email]

In another Hypothetical "What If?", -If Elevator Interiors had "Handholds" Inside, -One might be Able to Survive such a High Rise, Free Fall Drop! By Grabbing and Holding Firmly On to Such! And Keeping their Feet Elevated Up Off the Floor.

But at the Cost of Broken Wrists and/or Upper Arm Sockets! But One Could Perhaps thereby Survive! And Still Find Themself Alive!

Even if So, -This once again is a Hypothetical "What If?!" Scenario. Elevator Interiors of course, -Typically and Overwhelmingly Do *Not* Have Anything like Handholds! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ScottRezaLogan[/email]