By Milla Harrison
BBC Horizon
Graphic
Flying may be the safest form of transport, but many of the three million
people who take to the air each day are terrified of crashing. Now more than
ever, though, it's possible to survive a plane crash.
Most people believe that if they're in a plane crash their time is up. In fact
the truth is surprisingly different. In the US alone, between 1983 and 2000,
there were 568 plane crashes. Out of the collective 53,487 people onboard,
51,207 survived.
The advances in science and technology now mean over 90% of plane crashes have
survivors. And there are many things you might consider to increase your
chances of surviving such as:
how to survive the moment of impact
the life and death decisions you should make during the evacuation
what to do if there is a fire onboard
how to survive if your plane ditches into water
statistically where you should sit to increase your chances of surviving.
World leading aviation safety expert Professor Ed Galea, of the University of
Greenwich, has studied over 2,000 survivor reports and compiled a unique
database.
Tom Barth
The important thing is to get your upper torso down as much as possible
Tom Barth
"Surviving an aircraft crash is not a matter of fate. You can help yourself
getting out of an aircraft quickly, and so there are things you can do to
improve your chances of surviving," says Professor Galea.
He has discovered what all these survivors were doing that got them off the
plane alive and his findings are extraordinary. Time and time again many of the
passengers struggled to undo their seatbelts.
"People tend to try and press a button on the seatbelt because in this
emergency situation, they revert to normal behaviour. And what's normal
behaviour for most people? Well, they experience a seatbelt in their car and in
their car, it's a push-button system.
"This seat belt is different to what's in your car; it's a latch that you've
got to pull."
If your plane is about to crash, you may be told to adopt the brace position -
an important step, says Tom Barth from AmSafe Aviation, an expert in how to
survive an impact.
Graphic
"The brace position is a position that will offer you the best chance to
survive in a crash because it stops you from flying forward and striking the
seat or interior in front of you," says Mr Barth.
"The important thing is to get your upper torso down as much as possible,
limiting the 'jackknife' effect from impact forces."
His team in Phoenix, Arizona, has developed the first airbag ever to be put
onboard commercial aviation seats. It's a technology that has saved thousands
of lives every year in the car industry and he's hoping it will do the same in
the aviation world. It makes the seat safer and complements other safety
technologies such as the fire resistant interior, to ensure that you stay
conscious and are able to evacuate the wreckage.
Helen Muir
Look around you and see where your nearest cabin crew are - they'll tell you
what to do
Helen Muir
"The airbag is folded up in the seatbelt itself and deploys away from the
occupant, making it safe for children and adults. The airbags inflate very
rapidly in about 30 milliseconds, which is much faster than you can blink your
eye."
Many plane crashes have a post-crash fire but it's not the flames that are
likely to kill you, it's the toxic smoke. Smoke onboard is lethal; in just a
few breaths you can pass out. And if you had to evacuate in smoke, finding your
exit is very difficult.
But there is one simple step you can take which could increase your chances of
getting off in the presence of smoke, says Professor Galea.
"I count the seat rows from my seating position to the exit. So in the event of
smoke or if emergency lighting fails and it's very dark, I know the number of
seat rows and I can feel my way to an exit. By counting the seat backs I'll
know when I've reached the exit row."
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Professor Helen Muir, of Cranfield University, who studies the behaviour of
passengers during evacuations, believes how you behave in those last few
minutes can make the difference between life and death. She has her own "one
simple step" suggestion.
"If you want to survive an aircraft accident, even though they're very
infrequent, every time you get on an aeroplane you want to sit down and then
make a plan," she says.
"In other words, look around you and see where your nearest cabin crew are,
because they're the people who will tell you what to do and will make a huge
difference. Then look where your nearest exits are, both in front, behind and
across, and work out how you would get there."
But what about the one question that everyone wants to know - the Holy Grail in
aviation safety is where to sit on a plane to increase your chances of staying
alive?
CRASH SURVIVOR
Mercedes
I felt like I was on a rollercoaster or something
watch
Mercedes Johnson
Mercedes Johnson survived the American Airlines Flight 965 which crashed into a
Colombian mountain in 1995. Out of 159 onboard, only four lived and Ms Johnson
believes where she sat played a role in her survival.
"The location where we were sitting was over the wing which was near the exit
row and I've heard on numerous occasions that those rows are one of the safest
areas to sit in because it's the most reinforced with metal," says Ms Johnson.
But sitting over the wings isn't always the best place, because you don't know
how your plane is going to crash.
"I'm often asked, 'well, where should I sit in an aircraft to have the best
chance of surviving?'" says Ms Muir, "and, sadly, I haven't got a good answer."
"They're unpredictable events, so you never know whether it's going to be a
crash landing or whether you're going to have a fire in one of the engines. And
this means you can't say where's the best place to sit."