Latest news with #aircraftsafety
CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Not really, experts say
LONDON: The survival of a passenger who escaped through an exit door seconds after his Air India flight crashed killing everyone else on board has prompted speculation over whether his seat, 11A, is the safest. Aviation experts say it is not so straightforward because aircraft vary widely in seat configurations, crashes are unique and survival often hinges on a complex interplay of factors. "Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location," said Mitchell Fox, a director at Flight Safety Foundation, a US-based nonprofit. Viswashkumar Ramesh said his 11A seat was near an emergency exit on the London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday and he managed to walk out. Sitting next to an exit door might help you survive an accident but it would not always be 11A because aircraft can have dozens of different configurations. "In this particular instance, because the passenger was sitting adjacent to the emergency exit, this was obviously the safest seat on the day," said Ron Bartsch, chairman at Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting. "But it's not always 11A, it's just 11A on this configuration of the Boeing 787." A 2007 Popular Mechanics study of crashes since 1971 found that passengers towards the back of the plane had better survival odds. Some experts suggest the wing section offers more stability. Sitting next to an exit door, like Ramesh, gives you an opportunity to be one of the first out of the plane, although some exits do not function after a crash. The opposite side of the plane was blocked by the wall of a building it crashed into, he said. In January of last year, a panel missing several bolts blew off the side of a Boeing 737 MAX mid-flight, creating a gaping hole and damaging the adjacent seat. Fortunately, no one was seated there at the time, and the incident resulted in no fatalities. Sitting by the aisle might offer you a speedier escape but it increases the likelihood of being hit in the head by luggage falling out of the overhead bins - a much more common occurrence than major crashes. SAFETY BRIEFINGS Paying attention to the safety briefing at the start of your flight - often dismissed as routine - is likely the best way to improve your chances of survival, experts say. Disciplined compliance with cabin crew evacuation advice, including leaving bags behind, was a key factor in saving the lives of all 379 passengers and crew aboard a Japan Airlines flight in January last year. The Airbus A350 aircraft had collided with a Coast Guard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, killing five of the six crew members on the smaller aircraft. Safety briefings typically cover critical instructions such as how to fasten your seatbelt securely, adopt the correct brace position and plan your evacuation route. A common tip is to count the number of rows between your seat and the nearest exit - vital knowledge if the cabin fills with smoke and visibility is low. Despite disasters such as the Air India crash, plane designs have evolved to increase the likelihood of passengers walking away from a rare plane accident, Fox said. These include floor path lighting, fire detection and extinguishers, less flammable cabin materials and improved access to emergency exits.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Two aviation experts weigh in
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, miraculously survived the Air India flight crash, sparking debate on the safety of his allocated seat. Aviation experts caution that determining the safest seat is complex due to varying aircraft configurations and unique crash circumstances; survival depends on multiple factors. Mitchell Fox of the Flight Safety Foundation emphasises that each accident is different, making it impossible to predict survivability based on seat location alone. Ron Bartsch of AvLaw Aviation Consulting also noted that while Ramesh's proximity to an emergency exit aided his survival, seat 11A is not universally the safest, as it depends on the aircraft configuration. Experts recommend paying attention to safety briefings, following cabin crew instructions, and being aware of evacuation routes to improve survival chances, highlighting advancements in aircraft design that enhance survivability in accidents.
Japan Times
16 hours ago
- General
- Japan Times
Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Not really, experts say
The survival of a passenger who escaped through an exit door seconds after his Air India flight crashed killing everyone else on board has prompted speculation over whether his seat, 11A, is the safest. Aviation experts say it is not so straightforward because aircraft vary widely in seat configurations, crashes are unique and survival often hinges on a complex interplay of factors. "Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location," said Mitchell Fox, a director at Flight Safety Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit. Viswashkumar Ramesh said his 11A seat was near an emergency exit on the London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday and he managed to walk out. Sitting next to an exit door might help you survive an accident but it won't always be 11A because aircraft can have dozens of different configurations. "In this particular instance, because the passenger was sitting adjacent to the emergency exit, this was obviously the safest seat on the day," said Ron Bartsch, chairman at Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting. "But it's not always 11A, it's just 11A on this configuration of the Boeing 787." A 2007 Popular Mechanics study of crashes since 1971 found that passengers toward the back of the plane had better survival odds. Some experts suggest the wing section offers more stability. Sitting next to an exit door, like Ramesh, gives you an opportunity to be one of the first out of the plane, although some exits don't function after a crash. The opposite side of the plane was blocked by the wall of a building it crashed into, he said. In January of last year, a panel missing several bolts blew off the side of a Boeing 737 Max mid-flight, creating a gaping hole and damaging the adjacent seat. Fortunately, no one was seated there at the time, and the incident resulted in no fatalities. Sitting by the aisle might offer you a speedier escape but it increases the likelihood of being hit in the head by luggage falling out of the overhead bins — a much more common occurrence than major crashes. Paying attention to the safety briefing at the start of your flight — often dismissed as routine — is likely the best way to improve your chances of survival, experts say. Disciplined compliance with cabin crew evacuation advice, including leaving bags behind, was a key factor in saving the lives of all 379 passengers and crew aboard a Japan Airlines flight in January last year. The Airbus A350 aircraft had collided with a Coast Guard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, killing five of the six crew members on the smaller aircraft. Safety briefings typically cover critical instructions such as how to fasten your seatbelt securely, adopt the correct brace position and plan your evacuation route. A common tip is to count the number of rows between your seat and the nearest exit — vital knowledge if the cabin fills with smoke and visibility is low. Despite disasters such as the Air India crash, plane designs have evolved to increase the likelihood of passengers walking away from plane crashes on the very rare occasions where they do occur, Fox said. These include floor path lighting, fire detection and extinguishers, less flammable cabin materials and improved access to emergency exits. "There have been remarkable advancements in airplane cabin design that have improved the survivability of accidents on or near the ground," Fox said.
CBC
a day ago
- General
- CBC
Whitehorse airport installs noisy 'scare cannons' to keep birds away
Ryan MacKinnon scanned a patch of brush from a truck parked inside the airfield at Whitehorse's Erik Nielsen International Airport. "Is that a bird or a gopher?" MacKinnon asked as he spotted something. "It's probably a gopher." Observations like these play an important safety role at airports. According to MacKinnon, who's with the territorial government's aviation branch, wildlife are a major factor in aircraft safety at an airport — and birds are a particular concern. That's why the airport has installed new devices to help deter wildlife from entering the airfield: scare cannons. "We're still getting use to them, but they seem to be very effective so far," MacKinnon said. Despite the name, the scare cannons do not fire any projectiles. Instead, they use propane and a battery to ignite a series of three loud booms, every 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The goal is to reduce the number of birds on the runways. "Birds truly are an enormous threat to aircrafts," he said. "One reference I like to point to is the Tom Hanks movie, called Sully, where an U.S. Airways aircraft ingested several geese and made an emergency landing in the Hudson River." Such events are frequently called "bird strikes," and although rare, they have happened at the Whitehorse airport. "We did have a couple of bird strikes last summer," MacKinnon said. "Fortunately, there was no major damage to the aircraft, or ingestion causing engine failure, but those types of incidents we take extremely seriously." The scare cannons are just one tool MacKinnon and his team are using to manage wildlife in the airfield. Reflective tape, or flash tape, is placed near grassy areas of the runway to deter birds from landing. Teams also frequently inspect buildings for nests, trim grass heights, and remove any standing water. MacKinnon said other airports even use trained dogs or falcons to control wildlife — though the Whitehorse airport isn't considering those yet. Its focus now is on the scare cannons. "It's becoming an extremely busy airport and we just want to add more tools to assist us with wildlife and bird control," MacKinnon said.
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Aviation experts have their say on whether seat 11A is the safest on a plane
The miraculous survival of a passenger who escaped through an exit door moments after his Air India flight crashed, killing all others on board, has sparked debate over whether his seat, 11A, is the safest on a plane. However, aviation experts caution that determining the safest seat is not so simple, as aircraft configurations vary significantly, and each crash presents a unique set of circumstances. Survival often depends on a complex combination of factors. Mitchell Fox, a director at the Flight Safety Foundation, a US-based nonprofit, stated, "Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location." Ramesh Viswashkumar, who was seated in 11A, recounted how his proximity to an emergency exit on the London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday allowed him to walk to safety. While sitting next to an exit door may increase a person's chances of survival in an accident, experts say that the specific seat number, such as 11A, is not universally the safest, as aircraft can have numerous different configurations. Ron Bartsch, Chairman at Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting, said: "In this particular instance, because the passenger was sitting adjacent to the emergency exit, this was obviously the safest seat on the day. "But it's not always 11A, it's just 11A on this configuration of the Boeing 787." A 2007 Popular Mechanics study of crashes since 1971 found that passengers towards the back of the plane had better survival odds. Some experts suggest the wing section offers more stability. Sitting next to an exit door, like Viswashkumar, gives you an opportunity to be one of the first out of the plane, although some exits don't function after a crash. The opposite side of the plane was blocked by the wall of a building it crashed into, he said. In January of last year, a panel missing several bolts blew off the side of a Boeing 737 MAX mid-flight, creating a gaping hole and damaging the adjacent seat. Fortunately, no one was seated there at the time, and the incident resulted in no fatalities. Sitting by the aisle might offer you a speedier escape but it increases the likelihood of being hit in the head by luggage falling out of the overhead bins - a much more common occurrence than major crashes. The importance of safety briefings Paying attention to the safety briefing at the start of your flight - often dismissed as routine - is likely the best way to improve your chances of survival, experts say. Disciplined compliance with cabin crew evacuation advice, including leaving bags behind, was a key factor in saving the lives of all 379 passengers and crew aboard a Japan Airlines flight in January last year. The Airbus A350 aircraft had collided with a Coast Guard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, killing five of the six crew members on the smaller aircraft. Safety briefings typically cover critical instructions such as how to fasten your seatbelt securely, adopt the correct brace position and plan your evacuation route. A common tip is to count the number of rows between your seat and the nearest exit - vital knowledge if the cabin fills with smoke and visibility is low. Despite disasters such as the Air India crash, plane designs have evolved to increase the likelihood of passengers walking away from a rare plane accident, Fox said. These include floor path lighting, fire detection and extinguishers, less flammable cabin materials and improved access to emergency exits. "There have been remarkable advancements in airplane cabin design that have improved the survivability of accidents on or near the ground," Fox said.
