Plane crash survival

The incidence of plane crashes and fatalities has declined throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Aircraft safety has improved significantly due to advancements in technology and increased regulations. According to a 2006 study by David Ropeik, an instructor in risk communication at the Harvard School of Public Health, the annual odds of dying in a plane crash are 1 in 11 million for the average American, whereas the odds of an average American dying in a motor vehicle crash is about 1 in 5,000 each year. According to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 2023 safety report, there were 1.14 overall accidents per 1 million flights and 0.04 fatal accidents per 1 million flights in 2022. The IATA report lists landing gear as the accident category with the most occurrences in 2023, followed by hard landing and tail strike.

Brief History

The first fatal plane crash occurred in 1908, when a throng of about two thousand spectators gathered at Fort Myer, Virginia, to witness Orville Wright take Army Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge on a single-passenger flight. (The reason for the exhibition was that the US Army was interested in purchasing a plane for military use from the Wright brothers.) As the pair traversed the skies and elevated to an altitude of about 75 feet, a propeller split and the plane crashed, killing Selfridge and badly injuring Wright.

In the early years of aviation, fatal crashes were common due to a lack of air traffic controls, the nonexistence or nonenforcement of safety regulations, and limitations in technology; for example, most pilots had only magnetic compasses for navigation purposes, forcing them to fly close to the ground and making flying at night and in low-visibility conditions particularly dangerous. As air traffic increased throughout the 1920s, some airports implemented early forms of air traffic control using flags and other visual signs. In 1926, the US Congress passed the Air Commerce Act, which required the creation and enforcement of air traffic rules, pilot licensure, and aircraft and airway certification. The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 established the Civil Aeronautics Authority to conduct accident investigations and recommend regulations to reduce accidents. In 1958, the Federal Aviation Agency was created, which became the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following the creation of the US Department of Transportation in 1967. The FAA is responsible for the safety and regulation of civil aviation and oversees the development of air traffic control systems.

Overview

Extensive research has been undertaken to determine what causes plane crashes, and investigations following a plane crash attempt to identify the cause of the crash so that it can be prevented in future flights. About 32 percent of plane crashes occur because of pilot error. This is understandable, considering the complex tasks a pilot must manage during the flight. American Airlines Flight 587, the second-deadliest aviation accident to occur on US soil, crashed due to the first officer’s overuse of rudder controls, which caused the plane’s vertical stabilizer to break. Sometimes an entire team of copilots can contribute to a crash, such as in Air France Flight 447, which crashed in 2009 because the flight crew became confused after ice blocked the plane’s pitot tubes and the autopilot disconnected. A pilot’s psychological problems can also be a cause of plane crashes, such as in 2015 when a copilot locked the pilot out of the cockpit and crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 as an act of suicide, killing 149 people in addition to himself.

In about 20 percent of plane crashes, the reason is mechanical failure. In 12 percent of cases, weather is the primary factor in crashes, whether it be lightning strikes or slippery runways caused by rain or snow. Perhaps most disturbingly, 8 percent of all crashes occur due to sabotage. The act of sabotage can be undertaken by terrorists on the plane, such as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 or Pan Am Flight 103, or by people on the ground, such as Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and Ukraine International Flight 752. Both planes were brought down by surface-to-air missiles.

There are many ways that passengers can avoid dying in plane crashes. If a passenger is in one of the five rows closest to an emergency exit, then that passenger has a much higher chance of survival. According to an article published in Travel and Leisure in 2024, the seats in the rear of the plane tend to be the safest, although it ultimately depends on the cause of the crash. The speed at which a passenger exits a plane greatly contributes to his or her survival chances. It is said that a person has approximately ninety seconds to escape a plane once it has crashed. Other factors that affect survival chances include abstaining from alcohol during a flight, avoiding sleep, wearing appropriate clothing such as sneakers and long-sleeved shirts and pants, and being physically fit.

Before takeoff on any flight, the flight crew always performs a flight safety presentation. Although many passengers who fly often tend to ignore these presentations, it is important to pay attention to safety announcements and take note of the nearest exit before every flight. Wearing a seatbelt tightly and holding the brace position with one’s feet flat on the floor can also improve a passenger’s chances of survival in the event of the crash. Following a crash, passengers should exit the plane as quickly as possible, climbing over the backs of seats if the aisle is blocked, leaving their possessions behind, and covering their nose and mouth with their clothing to prevent smoke inhalation. After exiting the plane, passengers should move as far away from the plane as possible. Although the thought of being involved in a plane crash is harrowing, the National Transportation Safety Board reports that more than 95 percent of passengers involved in a plane crash survive.

Bibliography

"A Brief History of the FAA." Federal Aviation Administration. US Dept. of Transportation, n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.

International Air Transport Association. IATA Safety Report 2015. Montreal: Intl. Air Transport Assn., Apr. 2016. Digital file.

Jepson, Tim. "How to Survive a Plane Crash." Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 9 Sept. 2015. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.

Lallanilla, Mark. "How to Survive a Plane Crash." Scientific American. Scientific American, 9 July 2013. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.

Noland, David. "What’s the Safest Seat on a Plane?" Popular Mechanics. Hearst Communications, 17 July 2007. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.

Rohrer, Finlo, and Tom de Castella. "Mechanical v. Human: Why Do Planes Crash?" BBC News. BBC, 14 Mar. 2014. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.

Ropeik, David. "How Risky Is Flying?" NOVA. PBS, 17 Oct. 2006. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.

Waldeck, Stefanie. "These Are the Safest Seats on an Airplane, According to Aviation Experts." Travel & Leisure, 7 July 2024, www.travelandleisure.com/what-is-the-safest-seat-on-a-plane-8398877. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.