Families are planning their spring vacations and might wonder which seats to choose for their children. Here are the safest seats on the plane.
The Safest and Most Unsafe Seats on the Plane
The University of Greenwich in London determined in a study that those passengers sitting closest to an emergency exit had the best chance of getting out alive after a crash, according to aviation website Simpleflying.com.
“This is particularly key to survival in post-crash fires,” the site notes. However, it all depends on what type of crash the airplane has.
“The middle third and the front third of the aircraft had a fatality rate of 39% and 38%, respectively.” Logically, if the plane’s tail takes the brunt of the impact, “passengers in the back will fare worse,” that website also says.
“The worst part to sit … is actually on the aisle of the middle third of the cabin, as it [has] a 44% fatality rate.” The same site said, “Their findings showed that those at the front faced the greatest risk, with the danger decreasing the further back you went.”
If the nose of the airplane were to have an impact first, “the people in the front of the aircraft would come off worse.” “Since planes do not fly into mountains backward, and the fact you nearly always see a tail fin in the wreckage, logic would suggest that sitting at the back of the plane would be the safest,” the site points out.
The website goes on to say, “The worst part to sit … is actually on the aisle of the middle third of the cabin as it comes at a 44% fatality rate,” the same site said.
The First Passenger Airplane
The first passenger airplane to carry paying customers was the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, which made its inaugural flight on January 1, 1914.
The flight was operated by Tony Jannus, a pilot who had previously made a name for himself as a barnstormer and air racer. The airline was commissioned by the mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, who was looking for a way to attract tourists to the area.
Airplanes are a Good Means For Travel
The number of airplane crashes and fatalities varies yearly, but overall, commercial air travel remains a very safe mode of transportation. According to the Aviation Safety Network, there were a total of 17 fatal airliner accidents in 2021, resulting in 737 fatalities.
The vast majority of airplane accidents occur in smaller, privately-operated aircraft rather than in commercial airliners. The safety record of commercial air travel has been steadily improving over the years thanks to improvements in technology, training, and safety regulations.
Despite the occasional tragedy, air travel is safer than driving a car or even crossing the street.
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