Where is the safest seats on plane?

[kennyssenorita]

Just wondering if there are any "safe seats" on airplanes? First time flying in many years and my boy's first time ever flying and I am getting a little nervous. Any advice? thanks!!!

 

[bicker]

http://www.airlinesafety.com/faq/faq6.htm

 

[ducklite]

Statistically speaking, no seat is safer than another.

Anne

 

[kirbsam]

if you get in a crash, you are dead no matter where you are sitting. sorry to be so blunt, but that is just the way it is.

 

[Donalds_best_pal]

if you get in a crash, you are dead no matter where you are sitting. sorry to be so blunt, but that is just the way it is.

Yikes!!! That is the farthest from the truth. You are deffinitely not dead no matter what if you are in a crash. I could list tons of crashes that you wouldnt think anyone survived but some did. Also like others said, statisically if you are in a crash your chances of surviving are low. Yea some seats might be safer but it probably differs on the crash.

Your more likely to die driving to the airport then on the plane.

Matt

 

[DebbieB]

Remember the large plane that slid off the runway in Toronto last year and caught fire? Everyone survived. I heard recently the odds of being in a plane crash are 1 in 5,000,000 per takeoff. No reason to scare the original poster.

 

[Bill From PA]

A plane sliding off the runway is one thing, an incident at 35,000 feet is another. There are no fender benders for the Mile High Club. Past a certain altitude if there's a problem, I'm resigned to going into the ground like a lawn dart and the only purpose for the seat belt is to make it easy for the FAA to identify my remains by the seating chart.

Bill From PA

 

[ducklite]

A plane sliding off the runway is one thing, an incident at 35,000 feet is another. There are no fender benders for the Mile High Club. Past a certain altitude if there's a problem, I'm resigned to going into the ground like a lawn dart and the only purpose for the seat belt is to make it easy for the FAA to identify my remains by the seating chart.

Bill From PA

And folks, there is the pleasant thought of the day...




Anne

 

[SeaSpray]

A plane sliding off the runway is one thing, an incident at 35,000 feet is another. There are no fender benders for the Mile High Club. Past a certain altitude if there's a problem, I'm resigned to going into the ground like a lawn dart and the only purpose for the seat belt is to make it easy for the FAA to identify my remains by the seating chart.

Bill From PA

Oh you have such a way with words, Bill! <--- (I have to laugh at thoughts like those, or else I'd never get on a plane again!)

 

[NotUrsula]

Probably one that is close to an exit. Bill's macabre jokes aside, *if* there were to be an incident that was on/near the ground, the most important thing would be evacuating quickly, so being close to an exit would be good. Of course, with a child you cannot sit IN the exit row, but a row or two away would be nice. The odds of any kind of emergency happening are extremely slim, but if sitting near the exit makes you feel safer, then it would be a good thing for your peace of mind.

Other safety considerations include wearing clothing that will not melt, and shoes that will stay on your feet.

 

[AllyBri]

Other safety considerations include wearing clothing that will not melt, and shoes that will stay on your feet.

Shoes are so important (always surprises me to see pax wearing flip flops) because you never know. I always pack a pair of socks, and put them on once we are seated, then take them off when we land.
We always sit in the exit row.

 

[ducklite]

Probably one that is close to an exit. Bill's macabre jokes aside, *if* there were to be an incident that was on/near the ground, the most important thing would be evacuating quickly, so being close to an exit would be good. Of course, with a child you cannot sit IN the exit row, but a row or two away would be nice. The odds of any kind of emergency happening are extremely slim, but if sitting near the exit makes you feel safer, then it would be a good thing for your peace of mind.

Other safety considerations include wearing clothing that will not melt, and shoes that will stay on your feet.

READ THIS. IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE.

When you get on the plane, locate all the emergency exits. DO NOT simply look at the safety card. TURN AROUND AND VISUALLY LOCATE THE EXITS.

COUNT THE NUMBER OF ROWS BETWEEN YOU AND THE EXITS IN FRONT AND BEHIND YOU. And I mean with your finger. Point and count. It will reinforce the number. Don't worry about looking silly or acting rude. You'll be the one to get out while the rest of the brain fogged people are trying to figure out where the exits might be.

Make a mental note of any "landmark" such as a bulkhead or lavatory between you and the exits.

I put it in my mind like this:

Two rows up past closet to left or through galley to the right for front exits. Five rows back left or right wing exit. All the way to back left or right rear exit. Flashlight over FA shoulder, fire extinguisher in overhead bin one seat up left.

I do this on EVERY FLIGHT I EVER TAKE.

I also wear natural fibers--cotton, denim, wool, silk, and lace up shoes with no heel. If there's an incident that's survivable, I'm giving myself the best chance.

One other thing--I carry a small mini-mag flashlight on my keychain which is clipped onto the outside of my camera bag--easily accesible in a nanosecond if I need it. A mini-mag throws off a LOT of light for such a little thing.

Anne

 

[goofy4tink]

Exactly what Anne said!! Yet again, she beat me to it!! My family laughs at me, but we all fly in jeans, and shoes with a rubber sole.

 

[Maddle]

According to my DH the safest seats are over the wings, which is structurally the strongest part of the plane.

Maddle

 

[ducklite]

According to my DH the safest seats are over the wings, which is structurally the strongest part of the plane.

Maddle

If you were to take all of the crashes in the past twenty years and determine fatalities and critical injury v. survivors and where each was seated, there is no validity to your statement at all. That's perhaps where he perceives is the safest, but there is absolutely no actual documented survey data with reliable methodology to back it up.

The ONLY documetation that is proven is that several lap babies have been critically injured or killed in otherwise survivable crashes or in air incidents.

Anne

 

[CAP Aircrew]

There are just too many factors to consider here and as a result, no can point to a particular seat being safer than another seat. It truly all depends on the circumstances.

Personally for me, the seat with the yoke in front of it is the safest because it affords me the control of the plane.

Best advice is to NOT think about it and enjoy the trip (including the plane ride).

Flying is statisically safer than driving your car. Grab a window seat and enjoy the view from 35,000 feet. Put on headphones and listen to some nice music. It's a great way to relax and see the view.

 

[Maddle]

I emailed the question to DH, and he answered by email, "over wing. strongest structure on plane." and he has the professional credentials.

He didn't say "statistically," he said "structure" and he doesn't seem worried about "perception," because he sits all over the aircraft (business travel puts him on multiple commercial aircraft every week.) front, back, window, aisle, big and small aircraft.

I have to ask, Ducklite - did someone do this statistical survey? (because it would make for very interesting reading, once you got past the numbers) or are you saying that no survey has been done, so there is no documented safe seat?

I would have to say that I agree with "CAP Aircrew," too many factors to consider, and as Bill said, if you're going down, you are going down.

Wear your shoes and count the rows to the emergency exit - that is the best advice.

Maddle

 

[ducklite]

I have to ask, Ducklite - did someone do this statistical survey? (because it would make for very interesting reading, once you got past the numbers) or are you saying that no survey has been done, so there is no documented safe seat?

There have been scientific studies done, but none have been able to show evidence that any one seat or section is more survivable than another.

The arguments for one part of the fuselage being safer than another have all been based on anecdotal evidence or personal hyposthesis rather than scientific fact.

Anne

 

[drogerstn]

According to my DH the safest seats are over the wings, which is structurally the strongest part of the plane.

Maddle

And closest to the fuel tanks

 

[debden]

A plane sliding off the runway is one thing, an incident at 35,000 feet is another. There are no fender benders for the Mile High Club. Past a certain altitude if there's a problem, I'm resigned to going into the ground like a lawn dart and the only purpose for the seat belt is to make it easy for the FAA to identify my remains by the seating chart.

Bill From PA

Ah,YUP!!