Surviving an airplane crash: key do’s and don’ts

Even though common public perception is that plane crashes are unsurvivable, National Transportation Safety Board studies have found that the survival rate in plane crashes is actually higher than 95%. Even in crashes where serious fire and damage occurred, it was found that more than 78% of passengers survived. This means that if you are caught in a crashing plane, following a few key dos and don’ts can be the difference between life and death.


Get out as quickly as you can

Researchers have found that a majority of airplane crash fatalities occur not on impact but after it when passengers fail to exit the plane before it explodes or catches on fire. If you have survived the impact, you should focus more on getting out of the plane rather than trying to process what just happened.

Be swift at the exit

Bottlenecks at the exit are a major cause of fatalities in plane crashes. Since no airplane is polite enough to make exiting it post-crash easier, you need to be as swift at the exits as you can. If you are too scared to jump out, allow others in the line behind you to go first while you make up your mind whether you want in fry in the post-crash fire or risk a sprained ankle by jumping 20 feet down.

Help others

While being in a plane crash is indeed horrifying, most people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after it say that the guilt of not having helped others made it worse. So if you have survived a plane crash and are in a position where you can save a few others, do your best because not doing so might haunt you for life.


Don’t panic

It is near impossible not to panic after you have been in a plane crash. However, panicking will only make things worse especially if you and your family/friends are still inside the wreck so you should try to contain those feelings till you reach a safe place. If your friends and family are still inside the wreck, find a way to rescue them instead of panicking.

Forget the luggage

After a crash, your first priority should be to exit the plane instead of trying to get your carryons or worrying about the luggage. If the wreck doesn’t explode or catch on fire, your luggage will still be there.

Dr Prem Jagyasi and Team


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