In spite of being the safest mode of transport, we’re obsessed with plane crashes. More people seem scared of taking a flight than getting into a car.
Yet, according to The National Safety Council, the latest available stats are stark: 0.54 deaths per 1 million passenger miles in passenger vehicles (car, vans) vs 0.001 deaths for scheduled airlines.
In other words, a car is far, far more likely to kill you than a plane.
Meanwhile, Northwestern University says a ferry is much more likely to kill you than a train or plane.
Even in popular culture, plane crashes loom large; last year’s Netflix film Society of the Snow depicted an infamous 1972 plane crash, told from the survivors’ point of view.
Despite such a disproportionate cultural influence, when bad turbulence hits, it’s natural for your mind to turn to safety and survival in the event of the worst-case scenario.
New comments from an aviation expert advise you on the best place to sit on a plane if it crashes. And, we’re sorry to report, it’s the opposite of the seats associated with the most comfort and least claustrophobia (window; aisle).
In the middle at the back
If you know the story depicted in Society of the Snow, that of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 which crashed in the Andes Mountains, you’ll know it is possible, in some cases, to survive a plane crash.
The safest seat, according to John Werner, the CEO of Pilot John International, is the middle seat in the back of the plane.
It’s because the rear of the plane is likely to remain intact despite a reasonable chance of breaking off from the rest of the body: “The middle seats are safer than the window or aisle seats due to the buffer provided by having people on either side,” he says.
Where to sit if you want to avoid turbulence-related injury
It isn’t all about crashing, either: there are better seats to choose to weather bad turbulence, too.
“The safest seat may vary slightly depending on the type and size of the plane, but the physics of flight remain the same for all of them,” Werner says.
He adds that the middle of the plane is great for turbulence because it stays fairly still.
However, when it comes to safety, the very middle of the plane is more dangerous because the fuel is stored in the wings and a fire would be devastating in the event of a crash.
“A window seat might offer a nice view, but if you’re involved in a crash, it would take you longer to exit the plane,” Werner says.
Then there are the dangers of injury, if not death, inside the plane itself.
“Sitting in an aisle seat could provide a quicker exit from the plane. However, if the overhead luggage compartments were to open, you could be struck by falling bags” Werner says.
Front: best for comfort; worst for safety
The front section of the plane may be generally considered to be the most comfortable as it’s away from the engine, but according to Werner, it’s also the most vulnerable as it’s generally the first point of impact.
Werner, however, isn’t a complete doom-monger. He’s keen to emphasise the overall safety of air travel – which is now safer than ever.
“Advancements in technology and ongoing improvements to safety protocols ensure that commercial flying is the safest way to travel,” he says.
