A huge number of people are afraid to fly, fearing to die. They read about how to survive in a plane crash, knowing full well that the probability of being in such a situation is rather small. And although the chance of getting into a car accident is much higher, fear height and helplessness. However, the answer to the question whether people survived in plane crashes, yes. And it already inspires hope. Moreover, some of them managed to escape in an environment where everyone else died. And last but not least this happened thanks to their rational actions.
Causes of Air Crash
The chance to die during the flight is much less likely to win the lottery. Nevertheless, tragedies occur several times a year, killing hundreds of people at a time. Naturally, this is scary, even if survivors of the crash remain. Photos from the accident sites are so impressive that many subsequently refuse to fly, if there are other options. But if you think about it, after all, an airplane is one of the safest modes of transport. Yes, as in any other case, there is a risk. In fact, there are not too many reasons why something may go wrong.
Firstly, it is a human factor. This is the most likely reason, because equipment failures without human intervention are a rare thing. All safety systems are duplicated and checked before each flight, while human capabilities, including reaction time, attention, speed and quality of decision-making, are imperfect. In 70% of cases when certain incidents occur, both with victims and without them, it is precisely about the fact that people did something wrong.
The remaining 30% are to blame for technical failures not related to personnel errors, as well as complex reasons. Incidents that remain a mystery are usually referred to the same category.
Aircraft designs are constantly being improved, engineers, electricians and other specialists are working to minimize the participation of people in the flight process. The Interstate Aviation Committee, governments, aircraft manufacturers - a sufficiently large number of parties are interested in investigating the causes of each incident, and therefore serious attention is paid to this. And since quite rarely all passengers, without exception, become victims, according to their stories it becomes clear how to survive in a plane crash. In fact, it is quite possible, even if the accident occurred at a great height. And even more so, there were people who survived the plane crashes that happened on earth. So what does it take to be saved?
Biggest Air Crash
The most terrible tragedy in which the planes were involved is the attack of September 11, 2001. On this day, nearly 3 thousand people died. However, strictly speaking, these disasters do not fall under the definition of an aviation accident, which means that the championship is still not for them.
- To this day, the tragedy on the island of Tenerife, which occurred in March 1977, when two aircraft collided on the runway, is considered the most numerous in terms of the number of victims. In total, nearly 600 people died. The stories of survivors in a plane crash are horrifying to the core - out of the 12 survivors, the passengers simply lost their minds.
- In 1985, the world was struck by a major accident in Japan. The plane lost control, resulting in 520 casualties.
- Another clash, but this time in the air, occurred in November 1996 in India. Almost 350 dead.
- In March 1974, an aircraft of Turkish airlines crashed as a result of explosive decompression near Paris. 346 people became victims.
- As a result of the terrorist attack in June 1985, an airliner with 329 people on board was killed 70 kilometers from the Irish Cork.
- In August 1980, 301 people were killed as a result of a fire on board in the Riyadh area.
Only 30 of the 100 largest disasters in the history of aviation occurred in the 21st century. Have people survived the crash? Of course, although not in each. Of course, after any, even the most insignificant incident, a thorough investigation is carried out, based on which decisions can be made to strengthen security measures at the airport, improve the work of dispatchers and other ground services, as well as design aircraft and introduce new control systems. So every year the chance to survive in a plane crash, if it happens, is getting higher. And the probability of its occurrence is ever lower.
Is it possible to survive in a plane crash?
Many believe that this is completely impossible. At an altitude of 10 thousand meters it is very cold, little oxygen, and landing is unlikely to be soft. However, the facts, as well as the stories of survivors of the crash, suggest that there is almost always the possibility of a successful outcome.
In the previous paragraph, the most numerous victims of the accident were listed, however there are a huge number of incidents in which the number of victims was minimal or even equal to zero. Naturally, first of all, everything depends on the actions of the pilots and the crew in general, but the passengers themselves, if they do not create panic and remain calm, can be saved in a critical situation.
So how do you survive in a plane crash? There is no single instruction on how to proceed, but you can simply know and follow some recommendations at the stage of assembly and boarding the plane. Well, if an emergency situation does arise, instincts will most likely come into play, although it will be better to keep your head cold.
The safest places in the cabin
It is believed that in an airplane some areas during the flight are more favorable for survival than others (in case of unforeseen circumstances). In general, this is indeed so. Research based on crashes in the last 30 years confirms this, as did those who survived the crash. Photos of the destroyed liners also suggest certain thoughts. But first things first.
Firstly, the closer to the exit, the better - this is so. Proximity to emergency or standard doors in some situations can save a life, but only if you do not succumb to panic and do everything right. In theory, the opening of emergency exits is the crew’s task, but the passenger can do this, if necessary.
Secondly, the rear of the aircraft is usually safer than the front. In head-to-head collisions, runway descent, fires, etc., usually the aircraft cabin and its adjacent areas are primarily affected. If the liner loses control, the tail also lands after the bow. Thus, in some cases, not the most convenient places can save lives - here the chance of a more or less successful completion of the flight reaches 66%. The stories of survivors of air crashes often confirm this, however, with one caveat - you need to behave correctly.
Procedure
Survivors of plane crashes in Russia or abroad can talk about some of the nuances that are already known to everyone, but for some reason they are constantly forgotten. It is worth repeating them again.
Firstly, you can start preparing at home - put on comfortable clothes that do not constrain movements, have something warm in your hand luggage. Preference should be given to cotton and wool, as they burn worse. It is also worth paying attention to the convenience of shoes.
Secondly, you need to listen to the crew during the briefing. Yes, of course, those who fly several times a year, these rules seem boring and understandable without any repetition. But it’s worth at least once thinking that these instructions may come in handy. Even those who have heard them many times may be confused and panicked at the critical moment, instead of behaving correctly, while the crew regularly undergoes training. The stories of survivors of the crash confirm that listening to flight attendants is crucial.
Thirdly, sitting down in its place, it is worth doing two things: do not put heavy bags in the upper compartment, count the number of rows of chairs between the exit and yourself, and also remember this number. In a smoky environment, visibility will be at zero, and this knowledge can save a life.
Fourthly, as soon as the command to fasten belts arrived, it is necessary to do this. Even when the board turns off, it is better to leave them in the same position. Even if the airliner just enters the turbulence zone, you should not risk your health - a header is also not the most pleasant when traveling by plane.
This is what you need to know and do, just sitting down in a modern liner. Well, if it comes to how you can survive in a plane crash, then it is worth considering individual situations, although they have a lot in common. Of course, it is very difficult to act consciously if the danger comes suddenly - an explosion, collision, etc. But if there is a chance, it is worth using it 100 percent.
Failure to control and hard landing
Damage to electronic systems and other equipment is a rather rare thing. And if just minor problems do happen and may even go unnoticed by passengers, then more serious problems often lead to an emergency landing at the nearest airport. This, however, does not mean that everything is in order - in the event of breakdowns, everyone on board must follow the crew's instructions. In this situation, first of all, everything depends on whether anyone succeeds in not giving in to panic. There may be unexpected and sharp maneuvers, a drop in height, in general, the most important thing to do is to fasten and tighten the belt, remove scarves, ties, chains, etc. from the neck, think again how to get to the emergency exit and keep calm.
If it is expected that the landing will be hard, it is worth remembering about a special posture that will protect the body and head from unnecessary injuries. The chair should be in an upright position, the passenger sits with his hands strongly in the back in front and rests his head on them. Another option is to bend as much as possible, clasping your hands on your hips and resting your head on your knees. It was this knowledge that saved the 9-year-old Dutchman when more than a hundred people died, including the boy’s family, when landing in Tripoli. As soon as it becomes clear that something is wrong, even if it is only a turbulence zone, it is worth taking out any sharp objects that might cause wounds from your pockets.
Decompression
Depressurization of the cabin is also not too frequent, but a common occurrence. If this is not explosive decompression, as a result of which the plane literally falls apart, then the chance to survive in a plane crash is pretty good. The main problem in this case is hypoxia. For this case, there are oxygen masks in the cabin that are above the passengers' heads and, if necessary, fall out automatically. As soon as they appeared, they should be put on immediately, and not just pressed to the face. Those who accompany children should suppress parental instincts and take care of themselves first. Yes, in this case it is better to show healthy egoism, because if an adult loses consciousness, then there will be no one to help the children. Immediately it is worth preparing for a sudden loss of altitude - according to their instructions, pilots will decline as quickly as possible. The rest, again, should be calm and follow all the instructions of the cabin crew.
In this and the previous case, with a hard landing, you should also be afraid of fire and smoke. If this happened, firstly, it is necessary to go down as low as possible and protect the respiratory organs, secondly, cover yourself with a plaid or tight clothes to escape from open fire, and thirdly, make your way to any emergency exit, trying to avoid crowds and crush. The stories of survivors of a plane crash that happened in Pago Pago in 1974 are easy to illustrate. 97 passengers could not quickly get out of the illuminated liner, trying to leave it through the front door, while the four lucky survivors got out through the spare ones.
Aircraft Capture
Thanks to the efforts of all countries in the fight against terrorism, this situation can be called extremely unlikely. But it’s better to know what to do in this case. By and large, you should behave in approximately the same way as with any other hostage taking - the plane is no different in principle. As in any other of the described emergency situations, you need to try to maintain maximum calm. If someone was injured during the hijacking of an aircraft, assistance must be provided to him without endangering himself. Do not provoke terrorists to excessive aggression, indignant, screaming or crying loudly. No sudden movements and resistance, especially if there are no necessary skills. When hostages are seized, negotiations almost immediately begin to free them. If they fail, an assault begins at some point. And here the cleverest thing that can be done is to fall to the floor, closing your eyes and ears, while staying away from the hijackers. Specially trained people deal with the neutralization of terrorists much better than ordinary inhabitants, and in some cases they managed to get by with a minimum of victims, who later could tell how to survive in a plane crash. An ultrasound scanner, an X-ray machine, special programs that help to select especially suspicious passengers for a special check - new technologies also help to fight terrorism.
Splashdown
In addition to what has already been said about a tight fit, in this situation it is also necessary to recall the special vests that are stored under each seat. At the command of the crew or without it, if it became clear that the landing occurred on the water, you need to get it and put it on. After that, you must leave the cabin through the emergency exits located on the wings. Do not jump if the emergency ramp is not deployed - the height will be about 3 meters. You need to put the vest in action and slide your legs forward into the water on your stomach. Then you should wait for help and try to move. The vest will save from drowning, but he cannot save from hypothermia. In 2009, it was this tool that helped the 13-year-old passenger wait for rescuers, whose arrival took almost 14 hours.
