Why You Can Survive Plane Crash

WHY YOU CAN SURVIVE A PLAN CRASH PASSENGERS IN AIRPLANE CRASHES TODAY ARE MORE LIKELY TO SURVIVE THAN EVER BEFORE, THANKS TO 1962-1981 1982 - 2015 Percent of people in plane crashes who were killed 54% 39% IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY AND IN SAFETY REGULATIONS STRONGER SEATS IMPROVED EXITS Today's airplane seats and the bolts holding them into the floor- Doors on planes are much simpler to open and easily swing out of the way, enabling passengers to quickly exit. CARGO HOLD FIRE-SUPPRESSION SYSTEM are designed to withs- tand forces up to 16 times that of gravity. That prevents rows of seats from pancaking together during a crash, cerushing The B747-400 has smoke detectors in the forward and aft cargo bays, with 4 extinguishers capable of suppressing fire for up to 3 hours, 15 minutes. This should allow fot the aircraft to find an airport and deplane its passengers before fire takes hold passengers. FIRE - RETARDANT MATERIALS BETTER TRAINING Carpeting and seat cushions are now made of materials that burn slower, spread flames slower and don't give off noxious and dangerous Flight attendants at many airlines now train in full-size models of planes that fill with smoke during crash situations. gases. STRONGER PLANES Aircraft engineers have looked at structural weaknesses from past crashes and reinforced those sections of the plane. COCKPIT INNOVATIONS New technology helps today's pilot avoid the deadliest types of crashes. Accidents with planes hitting mountains or each in midair, typically at speeds up to 500 mph, are rare in North America and Europe. Crashes during landing happen while planes are flying at slower speeds of 130 to 150 mph. DISASTERS Today's planes come with ground proximity warning systems, which alert pilots if they are too low. An alarm sounds and a computer shouts "terrain, pull up". Regulators started mandating cabin improvements after two deadly aircraft fires in the 1980s: RESULTS 1983 As result of safety changes, passengers are more likely now than ever before to live through a plane crash. Several notable examples: An Air Canada flight makes an emergency landing at Cincinnati's airport after a fire breaks out in the bathroom. The plane lands safely but half of the 46 passengers and crew die because they can't quickly escape the smoke and fire. 2008 A British Airways flight crashes short of the runway at London's Heathrow airport. All 152 passengers and crew onboard the Boeing 777 survive. 2009 A US Airways flight loses engine power after striking a flock of geese after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger ditches the Airbus A320 in the Hudson River and all 155 people onboard survive. 1985 A British Airtours aborts a takeoff in Manchester, England, after an engine fire. Passengers evacuate but not fast enough. Of the 137 people onboard, 54 die after inhaling toxic smoke. The crash is dubbed the "Miracle on the Hudson". 2013 A Boeing 737 flown by Indonesian airline Lion Air crashes into water short of a runway in Bali. The plane's fuselage splits into two sections but all 108 people on board survive. IMPROVEMENTS In July, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crashed short of a runway in San Francisco. There are number of injuries but only 1 of the 307 passengers and crew dies, a second is killed on the tarmac and a third dies later in the hospital. 1984 Flammability improvements on seat cushions FAA required replacement of 650,000 foam seat cushions with fire-retardant material in U.S. 1986 Emergency escape path marking U.S commercial fleet retrofitted; can improve cabin evacuation by 20 percent when cabin is filled with smoke. Halon fire extinguishers added to all commercial aircraft. Lavatory smoke detectors - FAA requirement. 1985-1988 Improved interior materials, smoke emission standards Intent was to delay "flashover" fire: on all commercial aircraft produced after 1988. 1987 Lavatory fire extinguishers FAA requirement. 1988 Cargo compartment fire detection/suppression FAA required all passenger aircraft to have fire detection, suppression systems in all cargo compartments by March 2001. and during refurbishment of older airplanes. 2000 Thermal/acoustic insulation SURVIVAL MASTERY Insulation blankets meet new fire standards required for operators with more than 600 aircraft. Source: survival-mastery.com