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Airlines’ safety record One thing safety experts are quick to emphasize is the remarkable safety record of commercial airlines. Only one in 1.2 million flights ends up in an accident, according to NTSB statistics.
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Airlines’ safety record One thing safety experts are quick to emphasize is the remarkable safety record of commercial airlines. Only one in 1.2 million flights ends up in an accident, according to NTSB statistics. Vast improvements in safety training, in nonflammable aircraft materials and in firefighting equipment have made flying much safer than driving.
Accident probability The average chances of being killed in an airplane crash in the United States are about 1 in 11 million. The odds of dying in an auto accident are about one in 5,000. Survival rate U.S. NTSB study U.S. 1983-2000 – survivability is 95.7%. In serious accidents where fire and substantial damage occurred, 76.6% of passengers still survived. 40% of fatalities that did occur happened in crashes that were survivable. Close to 50% of all airplane crash fatalities might have been prevented had passengers taken proper action.
As safe as an escalator "Riding on a commercial airplane has got about the same amount of risk as riding on an escalator." That doesn't mean we should take it lightly and that we shouldn't be prepared. Don't let it scare you. Just have a plan.
Fly in bigger planes if possible Fly jet instead of turboprop … and ideally, western-made aircraft Fly with a legacy airline if you want value / protection
DRESS FOR SURVIVAL Before you leave for the airport, dress appropriately. In the event of an emergency. You'll want to be wearing practical shoes and clothing.
Imagine having to run away from a burning plane. If you have to do that, how well are your flip-flops going to perform? How well are your high-heeled shoes going to perform? According to the NTSB report, 68 percent of passengers killed in plane accidents died as a result of injuries sustained during post-crash fires.
It's smart to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts to protect your skin from flames and glass, metal, sharp objects and the elements. It’s better to wear tie-on shoes that you're not going to run out of and long pants. Jeans are good. In the summer that's really tough, but short shorts are just real dangerous
Choice of seat After you board, find the two closest exits and count the rows between them and your seat. In the event of darkness or smoke, feel the seats and count until you reach the exit row.
Remember the Five Row Rule those who survive a plane crash typically only have to move an average of five rows to escape. Beyond five rows the chance of getting out alive decreases.
Better chances of escape FIVE-ROW RULE In case evacuation is required Less chances of escape • Aisle seat: 64% survival • Window seat: 58% survival
Family travel If you're with your family, divide the responsibility of helping your children between you and your spouse. It's easier for one parent to help a single child than for both to try to keep everyone together. Talk to your children about what to do in the event of an emergency.
In your rush to get out of the plane, don’t forget your kids. That actually happens. Your brain does stupid things in disasters. Keep reminding yourself, “I have kids. I have kids. I have kids.”
READ THE SAFETY CARD Pay attention to the preflight instructions, as planes can have different equipment.
Think before you drink. Consuming alcohol will slow your response time and cloud your decision-making. You want full presence of mind in the event of a crash.
THE PLUS 3 / MINUS 8 RULE In the aviation world, Plus 3/Minus 8 refers to the first three minutes after takeoff and the last eight minutes before landing.
According to flight crash investigators, close to 80% of all plane crashes occur during this time frame (the events leading up to the recent Asiana crash happened during the last 8 minutes of descent). In between those times, the chances of a plane crash occurring drop dramatically. Thus, if you want to up your chances of survival, you need to be extra vigilant and ready to take action during the first 3 minutes after takeoff and the last 8 minutes before landing. Stay awake during these periods.
BEFORE TAKEOFF AND LANDING: • Don’t sleep. • Make sure your shoes are on and secured. • Women: wear flats and not high heels. It’s hard to run in stilettos. • Make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened — low and tight. • Headphones off • Go over your action plan. • You don’t need to be paranoid during this time, just vigilantly relaxed. • During these times, it makes sense to keep your shoes on, keep your tray table up and make note of the two nearest exits (both in front of and behind you). Have a clear path to the aisle and the nearest exit • Experts also recommend placing a carry-on item under the seat in front of you. That gives a block there so the feet and legs can't go up under the seat in front. Broken bones in feet and legs are common in crashes.
ASSUME BRACE POSITION Ready for the impact. The official FAA crash position is to extend your arms, cross your hands and place them on the seat in front of you, and then place your head against the back of your hands.
ASSUME BRACE POSITION Tuck your feet under your seat as far as you can. If you have no seat in front of you, bend your upper body over with your head down and wrap your arms behind your knees. Always stow your carry-on bag under the seat in front of you to block the area.
ASSUME BRACE POSITION • Research has shown that brace positions increase the chances of survival in an emergency crash landing. The positions help reduce the velocity of your head when it inevitably slams into the seat in front of you. Moreover, they help minimize limb flailing.
Also, make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened, low and tight over your lap. These are designed to withstand 3,000 pounds of force, which is about three times as much as your body could handle without passing out.
DECOMPRESSION / EMERGENCY DESCENT Put on your oxygen mask as soon as it drops. You have no more than 60 seconds before you pass out. You have less than a minute before you pass out. That's why they tell you to put on your mask before assisting others. You won't be able to help anyone if you are unconscious.
Airplane cabins are pressurized so you can breathe normally at 30,000 feet. When a cabin loses pressure, there’s so little air at high altitudes that getting oxygen to your bloodstream is next to impossible. That’s where oxygen masks come in. They pump pure oxygen into your nose and mouth so that you can get the air you need.
According to passenger studies, most folks think they can survive an hour without a mask after a plane loses pressure. Just a few seconds of oxygen deprivation can cause mental impairment.
Don’t panic Many people who perish in plane crashes could have avoided it if they had not made some fatal errors. The biggest enemy in a crash scenario is panic. Keeping your wits and maintaining focus will do more to save you than anything else. Panic is the reason that many passengers find themselves unable to do something as simple as releasing their seatbelt. The most frequent use of a safety belt is in your car, with a push-button release. In the heat if the moment, remembering that the plane's belt has a pull-release isn't second nature. For this reason, many crash victims are found still strapped into their seats.
Overcome the Normalcy Bias With an Action Plan We’re all naturally affected by the Normalcy Bias. This state of mind causes our brains to assume that things will be predictable and normal all the time. When things aren’t normal, it takes our brain a long time to process this. Instead of springing to action when something unexpected happens, our brain kind of shrugs and figures that what is going on can’t be so bad, because truly bad events are so out of the ordinary.
Should it be nighttime, or the interior lights fail, you won’t have to succumb to confusion because you’ll know right where to go. • Size up the passengers around you to see who could be potential roadblocks to your exit. • Mentally rehearse quickly springing to action as soon as the plane comes to a stop.
Another reason it’s important to have an action plan is that there’s a good chance you won’t have too much assistance from the flight crew. One study found that 45 percent of the flight attendants in survivable crashes are incapacitated in some way. You need to be ready to take action without direction from anyone.
Evacuation In the event of fire, stay as low as you can and get out as quickly as possible. The smoke and fumes from a burning plane are highly toxic and more likely to kill you than the flames.
Evacuation No matter what you believe can't be replaced, never attempt to take your carry-on luggage with you during an emergency exit.
Evacuation If you make it out of the plane in one piece, get as far away as possible as quickly as you can and tuck behind something large in case of an explosion.
90-second rule The airline industry refers to the first 90 seconds of a plane crash as "golden time." If you're able to stay calm and move fast within this time frame, you have a good chance at getting out of the plane. It takes, on average, just 90 seconds for a fire to burn through the plane’s aluminum fuselage and consume everything and everyone in it.
Ditching Don't inflate your life vest until you're outside the cabin. It will restrict your movement.
