Many people hate flying.
For some, the possibility of being involved in a plane accident is too terrifying.
Who would look forward to being sucked out of a broken plane window thousands of feet
above the ground?
Fortunately, major plane crashes with large numbers of fatalities are a rare event nowadays.
One article reports that the “odds of being killed on a single airline flight are one
in 4.7 million.”
And contrary to popular belief, most plane crashes are survivable.
Reports estimate that the survival rate for airplane accident victims is 96%.
Another piece of good news is that you don’t have to feel like your life is completely
in the hands of fate when you are flying in a plane.
There are things that you can do to increase your chances of surviving a plane crash, and
we will discuss five of them, in this episode of The Infographics Show, “How to Survive
a Plane Crash.”
There are many suggestions about how to survive a plane crash online.
We have distilled some of the most important ones in our “5 S’s” of airplane crash
survival:
1.
Strive to wear survivor attire.
Don’t don that 1970s disco queen party dress before a flight.
Synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon are flammable.
If the plane catches fire after it crashes, clothes made from these materials will melt
onto your skin and burn you.
Opt for less flammable natural fibers such as cotton or wool instead.
Save clothes such as short shorts and skirts for another time.
Exposed skin is more vulnerable to abrasions and burns than covered skin.
Long pants and long-sleeved shirts may not look as sexy as your skin-baring outfits,
but they will give you more protection from plane debris and fire.
Your choice of shoes is important too.
Think how well you will fare if you have to escape from a wrecked plane wearing flip-flops
or stiletto heels.
Sneakers and other sturdy, comfortable shoes that you can run in are a better choice.
It is also a good idea to keep your shoes on during the entire flight.
An emergency can happen at any time, and your shoes can’t protect your feet if you don’t
have them on.
2.
Start planning your survival strategy early.
Most airlines provide safety materials to their passengers.
Pay attention to them.
Don’t doze off during the pre-flight safety presentation, and read the safety card found
in the back pockets of plane seats.
While they might not be exciting to go through, they will provide valuable information that
could save your life.
Decide what plane exits you will use.
When you are on the plane, look around for the exit that is closest to your seat and
find a backup exit to use as well.
Count the number of rows to these exits.
This will help you find your way out if smoke or darkness in an emergency situation makes
it difficult to see what is around you.
Better yet, choose a seat as close to an exit as possible.
One article recommends following The 5 Row Rule, which states that “Your chances of
surviving a plane crash are much greater if your seat is within five rows of an exit.”
3.
Seat belts and other safety measures matter.
Learn how to use your seat belt properly before there is an emergency.
It is especially important to learn how to loosen your seat belt quickly so that you
don’t get stuck in your seat after a plane crash.
You should also keep your seat belt on whenever you sit down, including when you’re sleeping.
Fasten it tightly because, according to one source, “Every centimeter of slack in the
belt triples the g-force you’ll experience in a crash.”
Keep in mind that both seat belts and the bracing techniques outlined in pre-flight
safety presentations reduce injuries and save lives.
Consider these statistics from a recent Boeing study:
In a 2015 crash simulation, Boeing found that passengers who both wore their seat belts
and assumed a brace position (feet flat, head cradled against their knees or the seat in
front of them if possible) were likeliest to survive a crash.
Seat-belted fliers who did not brace suffered serious head injuries, and those with no seat
belts or bracing were more likely to die on impact.
4.
Stay informed and aware.
Planes are filled with different noises and distractions.
It can be hard to pay attention to your surroundings if the young woman in the seat next to you
won’t stop chatting about her undying love for Justin Bieber, and a screaming brat is
kicking the back of your seat.
If you can’t be alert during the entire flight, consider following the “plus three,
minus eight rule.”
One source describes this rule as follows:
The plus three, minus eight rule refers to the fact that eighty percent of all plane
crashes occur during takeoff and landing – the first three minutes and final eight minutes
of the flight, respectively.
Remain aware and alert during this time – don’t read or otherwise distract yourself.
. . .
In the event of an actual emergency, pay attention to the flight crew and follow their instructions.
However, be prepared to think for yourself if they are unable to give directions.
You should also be prepared for the possibility that listening to the flight crew might be
difficult to do in the chaos of an emergency.
Some passengers may not pay attention to the flight crew because they are trying to help
other passengers around them, while others are screaming and crying because they are
scared.
Loud noises coming from damaged parts of the plane can also make it difficult for you and
other passengers to hear the pilot or flight attendants over the PA system.
In addition, resist participating in another all too common scenario played out during
airplane accidents.
If passengers think the plane is going to crash, some of them will give up trying to
save themselves.
They will tune out everything else around them and focus on sending a final message
to family and friends.
This is what happened on Southwest Airlines Flight 1380.
One of the plane’s engines broke in midair and a piece of it hit one of the plane windows.
According to one report, the passengers’ “minds raced to how they could say goodbye
to loved ones” when they thought the plane was going to crash.
A passenger interviewed by CNN named Rev. Timothy Bourman did not even put on the oxygen
mask that dropped down.
As the plane descended, he thought about his three daughters and how he “wanted to send
them a note ‘from the grave.’”
Don’t forget that the survival rate for plane accident victims is 96%.
With the exception of one fatality, all of the passengers on Southwest Airlines Flight
1380 survived, and most likely you will too, especially if you don’t give up doing what
you can to stay alive.
5.
Save yourself, not your stuff.
Don’t waste your time trying to save your belongings in the event of a plane crash.
Your life is more important than your luggage, and you literally won’t have much time to
save yourself in a post-crash scenario.
You may have as little as 90 seconds to exit from a wrecked plane if it catches on fire.
One source notes that within that time period “a burning ‘airplane cabin can reach temperatures
that will melt human skin.’”
Instead of worrying about your bags, think about how you will handle flames, smoke, and
fumes.
Try to protect your nose and mouth with a cloth if you have one.
Another danger is that the plane may explode shortly after the crash, so you have to move
far enough away from the plane so that you will not be injured by it if it does.
However, you want to stay in the area of the accident so that rescuers can see you.
So, do you have any other suggestions about how to survive a plane crash?
Let us know in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out our other video called Some of the most evil leaders in the
history of mankind!
Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe.
See you next time!