The recent Air India crash that claimed the lives of 241 passengers has left many questioning the safety of different seat locations on airplanes. The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was seated in 11A, an emergency exit window seat just behind business class. Despite experts claiming that the rear of the aircraft is usually the safest, Ramesh’s survival in seat 11A defied these odds.
The Federal Aviation Administration data analyzed by Time Magazine in 2015 suggested that the back third of the plane has the lowest fatality rate. However, survival in a plane crash depends on various factors such as crash dynamics and impact points. Daniel Kwasi Adjekum, an aviation safety researcher, emphasized the importance of where a passenger is seated in terms of structural survival.
Studies have shown that passengers in aisle seats in the middle section of the cabin have a higher fatality rate. On the other hand, being within five rows of an emergency exit can increase survival chances as passengers can evacuate the plane more quickly. Cheng-Lung Wu, a professor at the University of New South Wales, noted that seats near the plane’s wings provide more structural protection.
Despite the tragic incident, air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation. The chances of dying in a commercial flight in the US are extremely low, according to a study in the Journal of Air Transport Management. The National Transportation Safety Board reported a 94% full survival rate in major passenger jet accidents between 2001 and 2017.
The investigation into the cause of the Air India crash is ongoing. The incident not only claimed the lives of many passengers but also injured 41 people on the ground. As authorities work to determine what led to the crash, it serves as a reminder of the importance of aviation safety protocols and regulations.
