With all the talk about ancillary airline fees, paying for exit row seats and the like, I was reminded of the sad reality that choosing the safest seat on airplane may be a lifesaver.
Delta Flight 191: A Personal Tragedy.
A friend and employee, Jean Hancock (sister of Herbie), died on Delta Flight 191, when it crashed on landing at DFW in August 1985. Jean died far too young at age 41. It’s something that’s always been haunting. She was returning from visiting family in Florida, and as a technology consultant and very frequent flyer, had upgraded to first class. On approach to landing the plane crashed as a result of pilot error combined with extreme micro-burst wind shear. Most of the 27 survivors of Flight 191 were located in the rear section of the plane, which broke free from the main fuselage before the aircraft hit a water tank.
“In 11 of the 20 crashes, rear passengers clearly fared better. Only five accidents favored those sitting forward.”
Some Data Suggests Rear Seating Is Safest Seat on Airplane.
Reports on safety data that I’ve read have been somewhat conflicting. One study that looked at 36 years of crash data, however, indicated that the further back in the plane you sit, the safer you are.
And according to Time, sitting in a middle seat of all things, located in the rear third of the plane is safest. Those have the lowest fatality rate compared with window or aisle seats.
Consistent Advice: Sit Near An Exit Row.
Other advice I’ve heard in the industry, read widely and try to follow suggests that you’re safer if you sit on the aisle in close proximity to an exit row. So if you’re paying for an exit row, you might just be safest if you choose one near the rear of the plane. Unfortunately, it’s typically quieter and less turbulent in the front, where planes tend to be more stable.
What Are Your Thoughts?
Do you think about your safety when choosing an airline seat? And do you choose to pay for an exit row at least partly for that reason?
This post was originally published on Beat of Hawaii in 2011 and updated in 2017.
Mandy W says
I almost always get seats in the rear of the plane for safety reasons. The noise doesn’t bother us because we usually have headphones on.
No matter what we can’t control what may not happen. I try not to worry but the thoughtless cross my mind.
Sorry for the loss of your friend and family member.
Joy says
My mom worked for the F.A.A. for many years and always advised me to sit at the back of a plane due to better odds of making it through a survivable crash and I take her advice the majority of the time for that reason.
Rachel says
I absolutely always consider safety and worst case scenario when choosing my airline seat.
TL says
As I studied aviation in graduate school in the 80’s, we read many accident studies and actually analyzed the data from a number of aviation accidents. One of the problems with aviation data is that the data is sparse (not many accidents) and lumpy (they don’t happen a regular time intervals). Then, we have to look at an even smaller subset of “survivable” accidents (many accidents are sadly not survivable). All of this makes it hard to make any conclusive findings from airline accident data.
M. Richardson says
This is so odd. I was looking up some info on one of Herbie’s
albums, saw one of the tunes was co-written by Jean – – I knew she had worked on some early lyrics. Googling their names together so see how many they collaborated on I ended up on a site about the plane crash.
Jean and I were close friends in grammar school (the Lab School in Chicago), and later after I moved to Boston. All I had known/ read about the crash was wind shear. It is painful to absorb the details I’ve just read. I guess I’m writing to you because I am grateful to see this blog entry by someone who shares this loss of a friend.
I used to see Herbie every couple of years when he played in the Boston area and we’d chat a bit. But it has been a while now.
wayne-maui says
Statistics can \spin\ information in interesting ways. While it may \statistically\ suggest that sitting in the rear of a plane relates to a better survival rate… I must fly for my work and spend 85% of my work week traveling so the \value\ of the survivability means almost nothing.
Given how few planes crash, I would rather spend my countless hours in the more stable, more comfortable, less noisy and certainly time saving (at least 30 minutes boarding and 30 minutes disembarking saved each flight) front of the plane -and not not pay extra to do so. I would rather live a full life in (relative) comfort than subject myself to freezing, deafening, non-reclining hours of torture hoping that my seat choice would give me better odds of surviving a plane crash where others would not -thank you.
bob says
Amen!!!
james says
Very sad when anyone’s life is cut short especially when traveling in the Safest mode of travel. I have known of this and usually sit from the wing back in the plane. Also because we go to see the grand kids and of course our kids that live in Hawaii. this is maybe also I am cheap so I get the least expensive seat and fly non stop.
Ed says
Well, like a famous comedian once said…”you ever hear of an airplane *BACKING* into a mountain!
Colleen says
I am sorry for your loss and yes, I do think about our safety when we fly. Often the thought crosses my mind ” What am I doing flying 35,000 feet in the air?”
We have only flown first class once when we were bumped and subsequently upgraded – so, we always sit further back. We rarely pay for an exit row but do prefer to sit on two aisle seats across from each other.
There is a scripture that says that ‘time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all.’ Accidents happen. I believe accidents are just that – nothing more.
There are a lot of things that influence survival. Seating preference ‘might’ just be one of them. But it isn’t a guarantee.
We are at the mercy of circumstances – many beyond our control. We cannot control pilot error, mechanical error, weather and more.
We weigh the risks vs the benefits of flying – the same as we do driving a car vs walking. We hope for the best. I personally stay buckled up as much as possible.
Thanks for a thoughtful article. I don’t think anyone wants to dwell on the possibility of not making it to their destination. But those rear seats don’t sound nearly so bad after all.