How to Survive a Plane Crash: Ten Ways Fliers Can Improve the Odds
JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom
As investigators probe the causes of the crash of Asiana flight 214 in San Francisco, the focus will also be on how the evacuation was handled. Some of the surviving passengers of the crash are starting to tell their stories, and the details paint a mixed picture, with flight attendants coming to the aid of trapped passengers while one crewmember was trapped behind an escape chute that deployed inside the plane.
But evacuations are almost, by definition, a chaotic affair, and in this one, fliers had virtually no warning. So it's understandable that some things would not go by the book. In fact, a number of passengers reported grabbing their items and hauling them off the wrecked aircraft as they escaped.
That’s a serious no-no, as I learned when investigating air crash survivability for this magazine. While it’s a natural impulse to grab your possessions, that can greatly slow down the evacuation process. And every second counts: A plane must be capable of being evacuated within 90 seconds of impact, even with half the exits blocked—since that’s often the case. Fire becomes a serious threat after that all-too-short interlude, as we saw in this instance .
The truth is that most accidents are survivable; while two lives were tragically lost in the crash of Asiana flight 214, remarkably, the other 305 passengers and crew got off the plane.
Evacuations are more common than we suppose—at the time of our 2005 report, an aircraft was being evacuated at U.S. airports every 12 days. But surveys have shown that few fliers pay any attention to the pre-flight safety briefing, either because they’ve heard it all before, or, strangely, because they believe if they crash there’s nothing they can do about it anyway.
But that’s far from the case; the vast majority of passengers involved in U.S. airline accidents over the years have survived. So, here’s some advice from the experts at the FAA as well as dozens of survivor interviews, on what to do:
1. Listen closely to that safety briefing before takeoff and study the seatback safety card; yes, you have heard it before, but a refresher is always a good idea.
2. Count the number of rows between you and the two nearest exits at the start of the flight; in a real evacuation, if one isn’t working, move on quickly to the next.
3. Assume the brace position for impact—head down, arms crossed—even if flight crews don’t issue instructions; they may not have time, as was the case last weekend.
4. Leave all belongings behind; whatever it is, it’s not worth risking your life or your fellow passengers’ lives for. Carry ID, cash, and credit cards in a neck pouch or fanny pack.
5. If there’s smoke, keep your head low and cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief or other article of clothing.
6. Clothes made of natural fabrics—such as cotton, wool, denim. or leather—offer better protection from high heat than synthetics.
7. Wear long sleeves and pants, avoid tight clothing and short skirts.
8. Wear low-heeled shoes. Avoid sandals, which don’t protect against burns, and high heels, which must be removed before evacuating via an emergency slide.
9. Jump feet first into the center of the slide, arms folded and legs together; don’t sit down, which will slow the process.
10. Avoid panty hose; friction on the slide can cause leg burns.
But evacuations are almost, by definition, a chaotic affair, and in this one, fliers had virtually no warning. So it's understandable that some things would not go by the book. In fact, a number of passengers reported grabbing their items and hauling them off the wrecked aircraft as they escaped.
That’s a serious no-no, as I learned when investigating air crash survivability for this magazine. While it’s a natural impulse to grab your possessions, that can greatly slow down the evacuation process. And every second counts: A plane must be capable of being evacuated within 90 seconds of impact, even with half the exits blocked—since that’s often the case. Fire becomes a serious threat after that all-too-short interlude, as we saw in this instance .
The truth is that most accidents are survivable; while two lives were tragically lost in the crash of Asiana flight 214, remarkably, the other 305 passengers and crew got off the plane.
Evacuations are more common than we suppose—at the time of our 2005 report, an aircraft was being evacuated at U.S. airports every 12 days. But surveys have shown that few fliers pay any attention to the pre-flight safety briefing, either because they’ve heard it all before, or, strangely, because they believe if they crash there’s nothing they can do about it anyway.
But that’s far from the case; the vast majority of passengers involved in U.S. airline accidents over the years have survived. So, here’s some advice from the experts at the FAA as well as dozens of survivor interviews, on what to do:
1. Listen closely to that safety briefing before takeoff and study the seatback safety card; yes, you have heard it before, but a refresher is always a good idea.
2. Count the number of rows between you and the two nearest exits at the start of the flight; in a real evacuation, if one isn’t working, move on quickly to the next.
3. Assume the brace position for impact—head down, arms crossed—even if flight crews don’t issue instructions; they may not have time, as was the case last weekend.
4. Leave all belongings behind; whatever it is, it’s not worth risking your life or your fellow passengers’ lives for. Carry ID, cash, and credit cards in a neck pouch or fanny pack.
5. If there’s smoke, keep your head low and cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief or other article of clothing.
6. Clothes made of natural fabrics—such as cotton, wool, denim. or leather—offer better protection from high heat than synthetics.
7. Wear long sleeves and pants, avoid tight clothing and short skirts.
8. Wear low-heeled shoes. Avoid sandals, which don’t protect against burns, and high heels, which must be removed before evacuating via an emergency slide.
9. Jump feet first into the center of the slide, arms folded and legs together; don’t sit down, which will slow the process.
10. Avoid panty hose; friction on the slide can cause leg burns.
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