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Protected and unclaimed. Scientists have named the safest places on the plane

The study shows that the safest places on an air flight are those that are least booked.

Airplanes are the safest mode of transport, statistics testify to this: in 2019, for example, a total of just under 70 million flights were made, resulting in only 287 deaths, Science Alert writes .

Most people make a booking based on a number of factors, but more often than not, it has nothing to do with security. For example, some people choose seats for comfort and convenience, while others choose seats closer to the front of the aircraft in order to get off the board faster. However, few people choose a seat on an airplane based on which of them are the safest.

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According to Doug Drury, Professor and Head of Aviation at CQUniversity Rockhampton North Australia, it is important to remember that accidents are, by their nature, substandard. For example, in 1989, in the crash of United Flight 232, which occurred in Sioux City, Iowa (USA), 184 out of 269 people on board survived. Most of them sat at the back of the class, closer to the nose of the plane.

However, a study that looked at 35 years of air crash data suggests that the rear seats have the lowest fatality rate, at 28% compared to 44% for seats in the middle of the aircraft.

Drury notes that this can be explained in terms of design. Passengers at the front of the plane, near the exit, do get an advantage in an emergency if there is no fire on that side. However, the wings of an airplane store fuel, which makes the midsection not the safest place to be.

However, the professor notes that if the passenger is in the front of the plane, this also means that he will suffer before those who sit in the back. Scientists also note that the safest places are also considered to be in the middle row – this is explained quite simply, the people who sit on both sides of you, in fact, will become a buffer for you.

What does survival depend on?

Drury notes that the type of emergency will also affect survival during a plane crash. For example:

  • a collision with a mountain instantly reduces the chances of survival. 1979 New Zealand, Air New Zealand flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mount Elbrus. 257 people died;
  • landing in the ocean nose down also lowers the chances of survival. 2009 Air France Flight 447, 228 killed.

Pilots are trained to minimize potential risk as much as possible during emergencies and therefore will do everything to avoid collision or land in the water between waves and at a normal angle. However, the greatest threat to passengers and aircraft is “clear air turbulence”, which can be experienced at any time at high altitudes. That is why flight attendants ask us to buckle up during the flight, and we should follow these instructions.

Does the type of aircraft matter?

There are some variables, such as the effect of airspeed, that may vary slightly for different types of aircraft. However, the flight physics remain more or less the same for all aircraft.

The researchers note that larger aircraft tend to have higher strength to withstand altitude pressures because they have more structural material. That is, they will be able to provide some additional protection, but it depends on the emergency.

Previously , Focus wrote about how to survive a nuclear explosion: scientists told what to do and where to hide from the blast wave .

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