HOW TO SURVIVE A PLANE CRASH

From 1993 to 2000 there have been 568 plane crashes in the US, involving 53,487 passengers and crew members. 90% of these people survived.

The sad thing is that 40% of the fatalities could have survived if the passengers had taken proper action!

So if everybody knows what they have to do in case of a plane crash, 94% of people will survive on average!

Just adding to these the fact that it’s rare that you would be on a plane crash at the first place, you can see that flying is actually the safest form of transportation.

So while the odds of being involved in a plane crash are close to zero, it’s important to know the things you should do to survive in case it happened!
So what are these survival hacks?

1- Listen to the Safety Announcement and Read the Safety Card

Read thoroughly through the safety card as well as listen to the flight attendants when they give their pre-flight safety tips.

Those pretty ladies and handsome men are not giving a lecture on travel safety to fill their work schedule. They are doing it because its important to know those information for your safety.

Even if you are travelling a lot you should read the safety card and listen to the attendants carefully. By the way frequent fliers are the least informed on what to do in the event of a plane crash!

Flying a lot won’t make you an expert on how to survive, it will just make a frequent flier and that’s it!

2- Choose the Safest Seat

Its true that all of the passengers are in the same plane, but your chances of survival from a plane crash depend on where you are sitting in the plane!

A study by Popular Mechanics magazine carried out in 2007 which analyzed all crashes after 1971 found that safety rates based rates based on the seats are:
Rear seats: 69%

Over the wing: 56%

At the front: 49%

Now you may think that sitting near an exit would be safer, well that’s true as this will make it easier for you to escape in case the plane landed on the ground intact.

This theory is supported by a study done by University of Greenwich, commissioned by the CAA. The study analyzed 105 accidents around the world and it found that those sat more than six rows from an exit were found to be far less likely to survive!

So what seat should I use to have more chances of survival?

The best seat to have is in the exit row as you’d be the first one out should you need to get out.

If you can’t get that seat, go for the rear seats on the aisle. Studies have shown that you have a 64% chance of survival compared to 58% chance if you choose a window seat.

3-Act Fast, Avoid Smoke

What kills most passengers in a plane crash isn’t the impact itself; it’s the fire that starts and takes down the plane afterwards.

Unfortunately people underestimate the time they have in their hands to leave the plane once it landed in a crash. They look astonished how they survived the impact, make the mistake of waiting for rescue teams to come and get them out.

Surveys have shown that most people think a fire can take up to thirty minutes to spread and consume an airplane. But the reality is that the time you have to leave a burning airplane is much shorter than that.

Passengers have only two or three minutes in their hands to evacuate the airplane before fire consumes it all!

Knowing this, there’s no other thing to do than immediately leaving your seat and head out of the plane.

Don’t wait for the plane crew’s order to leave the plane! Because despite the training they have they also can be shocked by what happened and they won’t respond correctly to rescue the passengers.

In many plane crash incidents stunned passengers were often found to have remained seated waiting for instructions that didn’t come from a stunned crew!

Don’t wait too long, move!

Fire is the main cause of deaths in most survivable plane crashes but smoke is worse. Even a few breaths that draw in smoke into your lungs can lead to paralyzing you.

Cover your nose and mouth with any tissue you can find and wet it if possible, even use urine!

4- Seat Belt

When a plane is getting down you will be ordered to use your seat belt, so pull it as tight as possible. This will help fix you in your place at time of the impact.

The funny thing is that there might be a chance that you cannot escape because of a broken seat belt. You need to free yourself as quick as possible.

You can wait for the flight attendance to get to the kitchen and find a knife to free you. That’s fine. Everyone has 3 minutes before the plane explores. Really good luck !!!

The best option i can recommend is to use a secret knife that is “allowed” to carry with you. Check out the following:

Or if you’re a big fan of Optimus Prime, you will love This Necklace Knife.

5- Larger Planes, Reputable Airlines

Larger planes have a more energy absorption in a crash which means you are subjected to less deadly force, which will increase your chances of survival.

Also the airlines known for their luxurious services tend to be safer to travel with.

For example the Arabian Gulf countries airlines have less plane accidents than any other airline in the world; these airlines also have the most luxurious services!

Most of the crashes worldwide occur with small companies that lack professionalism.

6- The Oxygen Mask

As soon as the oxygen mask drops, put it on right away. In an event of plane crash the cabin may lose air pressure and therefore there will be no enough oxygen to feed your bloodstream.

Deprivation from oxygen for a few seconds may result in losing a lot of focus, so you don’t have too much time as many people think. Once the mask drops put it on immediately! You need to be in full concentration all the time to act properly!

7- Take Off

Landing Rule Studies have shown that almost 80% of plane crashes occur in the first three minutes after takeoff and the last eight minutes before landing.

Thus, to increase your chances of survival you need to be more vigilant during the first three minutes after takeoff and the last eight minutes before landing.

During these times:

-Don’t sleep

-Pull your seat belt as tight and low as possible

-Don’t take off your shoes

-Don’t get stressed during this time, just be a bit vigilant.

8- Brace

Bracing will get your torso as low as possible to reduce the jackknife effect at impact, help reduce the velocity of your head when it inevitably will slam into the seat in front of you,stop you from flying forward and hitting the seat or other parts of the aircraft interior, and preventing injury to your legs and ankles that will block your escape from the aircraft.

Remember to make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened as tight and as low as possible.

9- Forget the Luggage, Help the Kids and Elders

Remember you have only about two minutes to leave the plane if you survived the impact after the crash.

Don’t waste your time trying to get your carry-on luggage with you, it will just slow you down and block others from escaping.

Don’t forget your kids if they are traveling with you, remember that they won’t react the same as you will do, mostly they will just remain in their seats screaming. So don’t forget them behind when you run for safety outside the airplane.

Also, give a hand to any elders with you, they might find difficulty to get their seat belt off and can’t walk fast by themselves.

But remember, don’t try to be a hem and save everyone on the plane! Just take care of those travelling with you at first place and in case you were travelling by yourself then you can give a hand to those sitting next to you giving priority to children and elders.

Once outside get away as far as you can, as the plane may blow up!
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Few simple rules can save your life in a plane crash. Just always remember the golden rule “know what to do and act fast”! The time you have to escape is about two or three minutes only!

You may have some good advice to share, leave your thoughts and ideas in the comment below…