Any landing you can walk away from is a good one, no doubt. But when the media reports on a plane crash, the cases always seem extreme: either the loss of life is total, or everyone survives “by miracle.” In reality, this tendency only hides the true survival rate for a plane accident. It might surprise you, but that number sits above 95 percent, and you can optimize it even further by making certain decisions before flying.
Now, it's very important to separate legitimate accidents from other events caused by external influences. For example, it's hard to call the Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 an “accident” when it was actually shot down by a missile. All its passengers died, and no statistics can change that.
What exactly do these statistics say? According to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the survival rate in a plane crash is 95.7 percent — much higher than anyone would imagine. At the same time, each passenger can take several actions that further improve their chances of getting out in one piece.
Dress for Survival
The first of these is to dress in fitted clothing (it reduces the risk of getting caught and provides extra protection for your arms and legs), favoring cotton and other natural fabrics (they take longer to burn and melt than synthetic material), along with simple and sturdy footwear (with your foot “closed,” so it won't slip off easily).
Choose Your Seat Wisely
Next, we must consider seat selection. The official position of the U.S. FAA is that one seat is “no safer than another,” but several studies suggest otherwise. In 2015, Time magazine compiled information on plane accidents over the past 35 years, and its analysis determined that seats in the last third of the plane have a mortality rate of 32 percent. Seats in the middle have a rate of 39 percent, and those in the front have 38 percent. In fact, center seats in the rear are statistically safer, with a mortality rate that doesn't exceed 28 percent.
https://old.neoteo.com/por-que-los-aviones-no-vuelan-mas-alto/The Rule of Five Rows
But the story doesn't end there. Another analysis published by the University of Greenwich (which cross-references over a hundred accidents with interviews with 1,900 passengers and 155 crew members) suggests the “Rule of Five Rows.” In short, if someone sits within the five rows closest to an emergency exit, their chances of surviving a crash improve notably.
Protect Your Legs
The next recommendation is a bit controversial: occupy part of the legroom with a backpack or a bag. Complaints about lack of comfort on some flights are common, but fractures to feet and legs are very common during a plane crash, and any extra protection is welcome.
https://old.neoteo.com/por-que-los-aviones-no-vuelan-sobre-el-oceano-pacifico/Pay Attention to Safety Briefings
Finally, every traveler must closely follow the safety instructions, and adopt the brace position if necessary. One of the main problems all flights face is that people don't pay attention. Remember the “Miracle on the Hudson”? Only 30 percent of passengers acknowledged having heard the instructions, and barely ten came out with their life vest. 10 passengers... out of 150.
