Passengers often wonder about the safest spot on an airplane, balancing factors like legroom and bathroom access with safety considerations.
The survival of Viswashkumar Ramesh in a plane crash that killed 241 others has brought renewed attention to this question.
Ramesh, traveling with his brother, was seated in 11A on a flight from Ahmedabad to London.
His survival has sparked fresh discussions about air travel and seat selection.
The conventional wisdom suggests that the middle or rear of a plane is statistically safer. A 2017 study analyzing 20 plane crashes since 1971 indicated that passengers in the back had a greater chance of survival compared to those in the front. Additionally, those seated near the wings also had better survival rates.
Similarly, a TIME study found that middle seats in the back of the plane had the lowest fatality rates, while aisle seats in the middle third of the cabin fared the worst.
However, Ramesh’s survival near the front of the plane challenges this conventional wisdom.
Here’s what expects have to say about the safest place to sit on a plane
Steve Wright, a former aerospace engineer and professor at UWE Bristol, has frequently considered the “safest seat” dilemma.
Wright notes that the Air India survival was unique. He explains that while the front of an aircraft is generally considered less safe, the Indian accident was “atypical.”
“Typically, when a plane crashes, it’s nose first, which would make seat 11A among the first to experience the impact,” Wright says. However, the Air India flight “sunk” into the ground with “the nose up.” Wright believes Ramesh survived “partly because he was at the front.”
John Hansman, an aeronautics professor at MIT, explains that in typical nose-first crashes, the front of the plane is known to “crumple.”
Wright suggests that the safest area is usually near the wings, where there’s more “structural support.”
Jim Braucle, an aviation attorney with Motley Rice Law firm, notes that Ramesh’s seat was next to an emergency exit and in front of the plane’s wing on a Boeing 787.
“Structurally, the strongest part of the plane is where the wings attach,” Braucle says. “And he was close to an exit—these areas are reinforced to prevent door deformation in an accident, allowing for escape.”
Braucle adds that the extra space in an exit row can be life-saving. “Even a few inches can make a difference when things collapse and people fall back in their seats.”
Wright agrees, emphasizing the importance of being near an emergency exit, particularly for incidents on the tarmac.
“The most likely danger on an aircraft is on the tarmac, potentially a fire,” Wright says. “The specific exit doesn’t matter as much; the key is to get off the plane quickly.”
How else can you attempt to have a safe flight?
Wright also advocates for smoke hoods on aircraft in addition to life vests.
Mary Schiavo, an aviation lawyer and former Inspector General of the Department of Transportation, always seeks a seat in the exit row after years of working with plane crash survivors and writing a book on safe flying.
She also carries a smoke hood and wears long sleeves and pants.
“Survivors have told me they wish they had more protection on,” she explains.
Schiavo always familiarizes herself with the emergency door operation, noting that different aircraft have different mechanisms. If she can’t get an exit row seat, she tries for the rows immediately behind, as passengers tend to push forward towards an exit in an emergency.
“If you’re in an exit row, take it seriously,” Schiavo says, emphasizing that reaching an exit or finding a way through a crack can be crucial.
However, every airplane emergency is different.
Ramesh’s story illustrates that survival can depend more on the specific nature of the crash than on seat location.
An exit row might not be safe if a door is ripped off mid-flight, and water landings present different safety considerations.
Therefore, the advises passengers to listen to the crew, locate and utilize exit rows, and review the passenger safety cards before takeoff.
“`