During which part of the plane crashing sequence do most deaths occur?

[mnemosyne]

@Dr.Colossus

in case no one posted it, this:

http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm

there’s a graph of accidents and fatalities by phase of flight.

i do believe this is exactly what the OP was asking for…?

A great resource for this type of stuff is actually ICAO - they publish all kinds of yearly statistics, like those found here. Hereis their global accident rate trends page.

Also, if you enjoy this kind of stuff, you can see the daily lists of occurrences that are reported to Transport Canada under their mandatory reporting system – the CADORS. Everything from an airport reporting a fox on the runway to planes requesting emergency standby because of a flap failure (which pretty much happens a couple of times a day, every day!). It’s a fascinating glimpse into what’s actually happening out there and what pilots, airlines, airports and the industry are dealing with when it comes to the daily grind of air travel.

There’s a similar system from the FAA, but their website is crap and I hate looking for it because I never remember the acronym they use. Seriously, the FAA can learn a few things about web design from Transport Canada… not that TC’s is perfect!

Likewise, reports and trends from the TSBCor the NTSBcould be of interest to people who want to delve further into this stuff.

Can you tell I geek out over aviation safety?

[outlierrn]

@kunilou

In her memoir, former NBC reporter Linda Ellerbee recalled a news conference where one reporter asked more and more insistency what exactly killed the passengers in a plane crash. Finally the coroner sighed and said, “Let me put it this way. The plane stopped and the people didn’t.”

I dunno, I’d have to nitpick that and say the plane stopped *before *the people did.

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

During which part of the plane crashing sequence do most deaths occur?

The part where it hits the ground.

Also, the fire.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

Obligatory Far Side cartoon: http://www.pprune.org/images/goat.gif

[Imasquare]

@Senegoid

It’s very different if, say, a plane nicks the top of a mountain or tree and tumbles end-over-end before coming to rest, or any of the other non-clean-crash scenarios suggested above. For example, in a grotesque crash in Cerritos (Ca) a few years ago, a small plane collided with a large plane on a landing approach. The plane broke up, spilling luggage, seats, and passengers out of the sky over a residential city block or two (ETA: and splattering several people on the ground too). Finally, the plane crashed messily, totally razing an entire residential block.

ETA: Cerritos crash was in 1986. Google “Cerritos airplane crash” for lots of gruesome stories.

I just checked Google Maps and found that new houses have been built on the crash site - you would never know anything terrible had happened there. I wonder if the current residents are aware of it.

[Normal_Phase]

@jharvey963

Not to take this into the even more macabre, but I heard that, if you are blown out of a plane at “cruising speed”, the wind tears your body apart. Is this true, or just a scary campfire story?

J.

p.s., by “cruising speed”, I mean full normal speed which is what, like 450 - 600 MPH?

There’s actually a pilot who experienced an explosive decompression in which he was pulled almost entirely out of the plane at altitude/cruising speed, and kept from flying off and falling to the ground (or going through the engine) only because someone grabbed his legs and held on. The plane landed safely, and he survived. He was outside the plane the entire time.

[Normal_Phase]

@mnemosyne

You might like to read up about British Airways flight 5390- in which the plane’s captain spent about 20 minutes being buffeted against the outside of a BAC 111 and lived to not only tell the tale, but fly again (seems he still pilots for easyJet). He suffered from frostbite and exhaustion, as well as bruising and some broken bones. It’s a remarkable story and it marks a rather gruesome data point in knowing just what the human body can handle. The crew of the aircraft believed the pilot to be dead and only held on for fear of sending him into one of the plane’s engines, which would be a much more serious emergency for the rest of the plane.

Amazing story, really. Also, one of the pdfs I linked to earlier discusses the loads and forces that humans can endure. I haven’t had the chance to read it yet, but it might interest you.

Ninja’ed! By four days. :smack:

[mnemosyne]

@Normal_Phase

Ninja’ed! By four days. :smack:

I’m stealthy like that.

[WhyNot]

(f) Each seat or berth, and its supporting structure, and each safety belt or harness and its anchorage must be** designed for an occupant weight of 170 pounds**, considering the maximum load factors, inertia forces, and reactions among the occupant, seat, safety belt, and harness for each relevant flight and ground load condition (including the emergency landing conditions prescribed in 525.561). In addition:

(bolding mine)

And suddenly this American fatty no longer feels quite so safe in an airplane…

[mnemosyne]

@WhyNot

(bolding mine)

And suddenly this American fatty no longer feels quite so safe in an airplane…

Honestly, that number surprises me too. I thought it was 200lbs, but I guess not. Either way, there’s a factor of 1.33 applied and this is for the maximum design loads, not on typical loads experienced, so I wouldn’t worry too much.