REVEALED: Where you need to sit to SURVIVE an aeroplane CRASH

The chances of being in a fatal accident from 35,000ft are one in seven MILLION

WHAT are the best – and the worst – seats boost your chances of surviving an aeroplane CRASH?

 

Flying is statistically one of the safest forms of transport. In fact, the chances of being in a fatal accident from 35,000ft are one in seven million.

That means you could fly every day of your life – and it would take nineteen thousand years before you die on a plane journey.

Still not convinced its safe?

 

A packed 727 jet would have to crash every day of the week – with no survivors – for the total annual number of deaths in air travel to equal those who die on the road in the US alone.

But suppose something does happen and you are one of the unlucky few on a doomed flight?

 

Is your fate dictated by the seat you are assigned by your airline?

Is there a seat which maximises your chance of survival? Or worse still, is there one which reduces the likelihood of you being able to walk away from the wreckage?

A number of theories on seat safety were put to the test by a research team back in 2012, for Channel 4 documentary, The Crash.

The researchers ploughed a Boeing 727 – fitted with sensors and cameras – into the Sonoran Desert in Mexico, to simulate a crash.

The test crash proved that sitting in the rear of the aeroplane gave passengers a much greater chance of survival.

Meanwhile, those in First Class – comfortably housed at the front of the plane – would have struggled to make it out of the fuselage alive.

A staggering force of 12G was recorded at the front of the plane, compared to just 6G in the rear.

Other tests have also concluded that the rear of the plane is safer than the cockpit and First Class areas at the front.

However both Boeing and Airbus have previously gone on record claiming no one seat is safer than any other.

If you survive the initial crash, getting out as quickly as possible clearly offers a greater chance of staying alive.

A report commissioned by the Civil Aviation Authority showed that passengers seated within six rows of an exit stood the best chance of survival.

However, the difference between sitting by the window or aisle is said to be marginal.

 

Safety Verdict:

There are around 18 million flights every year and taking to the skies is still one of the safest ways to get around.

But, if you're scared of flying and want the safest seat, it seems sitting at the rear of the plane gives you the greatest chance of survival should things go wrong.

 

Channel 4 sent a 727 smashing into the desert to test out theories on airline safety

Sitting in an aisle seat six rows from an exit and keeping your seatbelt fastened at all times will also boost your chances.

In 2014 more than three billion people flew on commercial aircraft and during that time there were 81 accidents and 210 fatalities.

The University of Oxford calculates that Britons have odds of one in 3.5m dying in a plane crash compared to one in 36,512 of dying in a motor accident.