How to Survive an Air Crash
Or at least increase your chances
Fear of flying is not uncommon. Around 70% of us are afraid. Yet flying is one of the safest forms of transport
According to the US National Safety Council, the chance of dying is 1 in 205,552 as compared with 1 in 102 from a car crash.
The five-year average number of plane accidents was 75, with 315 deaths, yet in 2017 there are only 19 deaths. But accidents do happen, and you can reduce your chance of death by taking a few simple precautions.
So, let’s look at things which can increase your chance of survival.
Choosing your seat
Statistics show that if your seat is within 5 rows of the emergency exit your chance of survival doubles. You need to check where the exit is. Count the rows to the nearest exit and note the direction. The cabin may be dark or filled with smoke.
In 2007 Popular Mechanics looked at NTSB data for commercial aircraft crashes in the US since 1971. They found the following figures:
Seats behind the wings — survival rate 69%
Seats over the wings — survival rate 56%
Seats in front of the wings — survival rate 49%
