Flying may be the safest form of transport, but many of the three million people who take to the air each day are terrified of crashing. Now more than ever, though, it's possible to survive a plane crash. ...
World leading aviation safety expert Professor Ed Galea, of the University of Greenwich, has studied over 2,000 survivor reports and compiled a unique database.
"Surviving an aircraft crash is not a matter of fate. You can help yourself getting out of an aircraft quickly, and so there are things you can do to improve your chances of surviving," says Professor Galea.
He has discovered what all these survivors were doing that got them off the plane alive and his findings are extraordinary. Time and time again many of the passengers struggled to undo their seatbelts.
"People tend to try and press a button on the seatbelt because in this emergency situation, they revert to normal behaviour. And what's normal behaviour for most people? Well, they experience a seatbelt in their car and in their car, it's a push-button system.
"This seat belt is different to what's in your car; it's a latch that you've got to pull."
If your plane is about to crash, you may be told to adopt the brace position - an important step, says Tom Barth from AmSafe Aviation, an expert in how to survive an impact.
"The brace position is a position that will offer you the best chance to survive in a crash because it stops you from flying forward and striking the seat or interior in front of you," says Mr Barth.
"The important thing is to get your upper torso down as much as possible, limiting the 'jackknife' effect [wiki] from impact forces." ... via
Tags: