I’m a flight safety expert – here’s why you should always sit at the back of the plane
A FLIGHT safety expert has revealed why you should always sit at the back of the plane, even if you’re in a rush.
Despite plane crashes being incredibly rare, the thought of the catastrophic event crosses all of our nervous minds.
While it might seem like there is nothing you could do to survive a crash, people do live through them.
One expert has now revealed what you can do to to improve your chances of surviving a crash.
Daniel Kwasi Adjekum, an aviation safety researcher at the University of North Dakota, told Wired that physics said the back of the plane was the safest.
He said: “The front section, obviously, is comfortable because it’s away from the engine and the noise… that’s normally the first point of impact. And so it’s a high vulnerability area.”
Adjekum said the back of the plane is likely to stay whole despite it having a decent chance of braking off from the rest of the fuselage.
As the back is less likely to shatter or disintegrate, passengers would hopefully be more protected and feel less of the impact.
Adjekum said sitting in the middle of the plane is good for turbulence as it doesn’t move as much.
But in a disaster scenario, the middle is where the fuel cells of the plane sit and it could be catastrophic if there was a fire.
Despite that, it is easier to get to the emergency exits of the plane if you are sitting in the middle of the plane.
Which seat you also sit in matters if you need to escape quickly.
Getting the window seat might give you a good view, but that won’t matter if you crash.
It would also take you longer to leave the plane quickly if you have to wait for other people to move or squeeze past them.
If you sit in an aisle seat you also might have a quicker shot at exiting the plane.
But if the overhead cabin luggage compartments were to fly open, you could be battered by falling bags.
The best thing you can do, Adjekum said, is to listen to the cabin crew and follow their instructions.
“Anytime you sit in an aircraft, the first thing to do is to have situational awareness… Listen to the instructions from the cabin crew, because they know their job and they are there to ensure that you are safe, no matter where you are seated.”
On recent study found there was only one accident that ended with fatalities among 37.7 million flights in 2023, according to data from International Air Transport Association.
According to a 2015 study, seats in the middle of the cabin had the highest fatality rate at 39 per cent, followed by a 38 per cent fatality rate in the front.
Seats at the back of the cabin had the lowest fatality rate at 32 per cent.
The Aviation Safety Network analysed 65 plane crashes and found seats in the back to be safest in over half of the incidents, based on survival rates.
But Vance Hilderman, CEO of one of the world’s largest aviation safety service companies Afuzion Inc, previously told The Sun how a British trait could improve chances of getting out alive in the event of a crash.
He said: “A lot of countries don’t have the same queueing culture like you have in the UK, but queueing efficiently is one of the best ways in which we can get more people out alive.
“It’s not just about thinking about yourself, you have to think about your fellow passengers and everyone rushing at the same time will cause problems in the aisles.
“Queueing and moving efficiently is what you hope for in that incident, it doesn’t always happen.”
Choosing the right seat can also make a difference for passengers and there’s one that Vance always likes to pick when he flies.
He revealed that the safest seat is over the wing, right next to the emergency door.
How to stay safe on a flight
Wearing the right clothes:
One of the most important things to wear on a plane are your shoes, and you should avoid taking them off when boarding.
A study by Boeing found that half of plane crashes happen during take-off and landing.
After a crash, fire or broken glass could obstruct the aisle, making it hard to escape barefoot.
Removing sharp objects from pockets:
A Boeing pilot advised passengers to always remove sharp objects from your pockets.
The reason being that you could damage the emergency slide if there is something sharp on you.
Count the seats to the emergency exit:
It is advisable to count the number of seats there are between you and the nearest emergency exit.
This is because in the event of an accident, if visibility is poor, you will be able to guide yourself and others to the exit.
Don’t lace fingers during brace position:
The way you do the brace position could impact your survival as lacing your fingers could badly injure you.
Passengers are supposed to put their head between their knees, with their hands over the top to protect the back of the skull.
The temptation is to lace the fingers while doing this, to keep the hands in place during what would likely be quite a bumpy journey.