# Safest seat on a plane **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234 "2010-05-12T22:57:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/21 "2010-05-13T16:37:25Z")
ON the plane? [QUOTE=George Carlin] About this time, someone is telling you to get on the plane. “Get on the plane. Get on the plane.” I say, “fuck you, I’m getting IN the plane! IN the plane! Let Evel Knievel get ON the plane! I’ll be in here with you folks in uniform! There seems to be less WIND in here!” [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/22 "2010-05-13T17:12:56Z")
In the airport lounge, watching the fireball. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/23 "2010-05-13T19:14:29Z")
I figure it doesn’t really matter. My preferred seats are just aft of the wing, so I can watch the control surfaces move. I recall reading somewhere that the safest seats in larger planes are probably the aft jump seats (cabin crew seats), and they won’t let passengers sit in those anyways. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/24 "2010-05-13T19:41:20Z")
> [@flyboy](#): > > There are so many problems with this study that it’s arguably useless. For starters, I immediately see the 11 out of 20 and think, _that means that 9 out of 20 did not favor the back–pretty close call_. Then I see they only analyzed accidents for which they could determine seating, leaving out, I assume, many other accidents which could easily have swayed the data one way or another (or not at all). Also, the sample size is tiny. Twenty crashes? Why not increase the pool to international accidents? It’s very difficult to generalize the smaller your sample size is, and twenty is pretty dang small. Researcher bias is another factor–I’m pretty sure they wanted to find a “it’s safer if” result, which could easily skew how they determined where a survivor was sitting (was it just forward of the cut-off line between fore and aft? Why not move the aft section line a bit forward to include that survivor?)Then I see later where they say that only seven of the 11 (but looking at the entire study, we’re talking seven of 20) were “striking” results. That doesn’t sound very conclusive. Anyway, I’m sure I could find more if I thought about it. > > I’d have to see the actual magazine to see if any of this was addressed, how they developed their methodology, and whether they provide actual statistical analyses. Great post. Yeah, I’m not convinced about the statistical validity of this study either. I just wanted to see if reports like this have an impact on the general population. I now realize that the SDMB is not “general population” because apparently 2 backseaters now want to go sit in the front :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/25 "2010-05-13T19:59:07Z")
When I fly, unless the plane is completely booked and there are people on standby, I do my best to be the absolute last person to board the plane (which isn’t hard, all you have to do is wait for the final boarding call.) This way, I get my choice of seats. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to get a complete aisle to myself, allowing me to stretch my legs on the other empty seats if need be. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/26 "2010-05-13T20:25:33Z")
Why isn’t the middle an option? It’s the strongest part of the fuselage (that is, over the wings). ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/27 "2010-05-13T20:47:16Z")
When was this an article in _Popular Mechanics_? Mary Roach covered this factoid in the book _Stiff_, so I figure it was known by 2003. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/28 "2010-05-13T21:04:18Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > When I fly, unless the plane is completely booked and there are people on standby, I do my best to be the absolute last person to board the plane (which isn’t hard, all you have to do is wait for the final boarding call.) > > This way, I get my choice of seats. > > I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to get a complete aisle to myself, allowing me to stretch my legs on the other empty seats if need be. So you don’t end up sitting in your assigned seat? I only have a minor issue with that, but given as this is a thread about air safety, I figure I’ll mention it; if you aren’t sitting in the place assigned to you on the passenger manifest, in the event of a fatal accident it makes it harder to find and identify your body and can skew safety and survivability studies. Sure, it’s improbable, but it’s something to consider. Advising your flight attendant(s) of where you should be lets them at least update the onboard copy of the manifest, should it be found. On most planes - but of more concern on small planes - that aren’t full, passengers are also placed according to weight and balance charts to ensure the centre of gravity is within the range it should be. Of course, in this situation, you’d probably be told not to change seats! > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Why isn’t the middle an option? It’s the strongest part of the fuselage (that is, over the wings). The middle is structurally very strong, but also contains a massive amount of flammable fuel. The fuel tanks are in the wings and in a centre tank at the bottom of the fuselage between the wings (on most planes). In the even of a post-impact fire (which happen rather often) the middle is decidedly less safe. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/29 "2010-05-13T21:45:21Z")
Exit row. I don’t care if I survive the crash I just want to die comfortably. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/30 "2010-05-13T22:26:31Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > So you don’t end up sitting in your assigned seat? Naw, I’m in a plane not a train. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/31 "2010-05-13T22:35:36Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > The middle is structurally very strong, but also contains a massive amount of flammable fuel. The fuel tanks are in the wings and in a centre tank at the bottom of the fuselage between the wings (on most planes). In the even of a post-impact fire (which happen rather often) the middle is decidedly less safe. In the event that the plane crashes _and_ blows up, I suspect it won’t matter which seat you’re in. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/32 "2010-05-13T22:45:42Z")
I like to sit in an over wing exit row. It gives me some extra leg room and I take the safety aspect seriously. I figure that way at least one person in the row will know how to get out. I don’t really care about surviving a catastrophic crash because I probably won’t, but when it comes to landing accidents, runway over-runs, ditchings and so on, I want to be as close to an exit as possible. My favourite seating is in an exit row with no one in the middle seat. Leg room, shoulder room, and a spare tray table to put my empty meal tray and drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/33 "2010-05-13T23:05:59Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > When I fly, unless the plane is completely booked and there are people on standby, I do my best to be the absolute last person to board the plane (which isn’t hard, all you have to do is wait for the final boarding call.) > > This way, I get my choice of seats. This is fine if you don’t need to put your carry-on luggage in the overhead compartment (as they’re usually full by the time the last passengers board) and you don’t mind sitting in the middle seat (as everyone else goes for the window and aisle seats). I prefer to board early, so I can put my carry-on bag in an overhead compartment just above my seat, or just in front of my seat, and to get an aisle seat when possible. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/34 "2010-05-13T23:07:19Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > and I hate sitting over the wing because I can’t see anything I like to sit just behind the wings or over them, it gives me some sort of point of reference when I look out over the clouds below. I’d heard too it was the strongest point on the fuselage, that and on the budget airline trips I’ve taken, on that small a plane there are emergency exits located just there. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/35 "2010-05-14T03:06:35Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > This is fine if you don’t need to put your carry-on luggage in the overhead compartment (as they’re usually full by the time the last passengers board) and you don’t mind sitting in the middle seat (as everyone else goes for the window and aisle seats). I prefer to board early, so I can put my carry-on bag in an overhead compartment just above my seat, or just in front of my seat, and to get an aisle seat when possible. 1. My carryon is always small enough to fit under the seat in front of me. 2. As far as I can tell, the vast, vast majority of passengers sit in their ticketed seat. If they tried to maximize their comfort (as I do), then I wouldn’t have empty rows to sit in. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/36 "2010-05-14T03:39:47Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > 1. My carryon is always small enough to fit under the seat in front of me. > > 2. As far as I can tell, the vast, vast majority of passengers sit in their ticketed seat. If they tried to maximize their comfort (as I do), then I wouldn’t have empty rows to sit in. That’s because you’re not permitted to be in a seat other than your ticketed one for take-off. Weight and balance is calculated on a particular seating arrangement and the aircraft take-off trim setting is set based on this as well. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/37 "2010-05-14T04:19:36Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > 1. My carryon is always small enough to fit under the seat in front of me. > > 2. As far as I can tell, the vast, vast majority of passengers sit in their ticketed seat. If they tried to maximize their comfort (as I do), then I wouldn’t have empty rows to sit in. You must always travel at odd times when few people are flying. Every time I’ve flown most of the seats are occupied. If I did as you do and waited until the last minute to board, the odds are that my ticketed seat would be one of the few, if not the only, seat available. I think I’ve only been on two flights where there were so many empty seats that the passengers could sit anywhere they wanted, and IIRC they were both red-eye flights out of Vegas. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/38 "2010-05-14T04:21:04Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > You must always travel at odd times when few people are flying. Every time I’ve flown most of the seats are occupied. If I did as you do and waited until the last minute to board, the odds are that my ticketed seat would be one of the few, if not the only, seat available. Precisely. There’s nothing to lose. If “my” seat is the best available, it’ll still be available. If it’s not, there I’ll be. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/39 "2010-05-14T04:23:11Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > That’s because you’re not permitted to be in a seat other than your ticketed one for take-off. Weight and balance is calculated on a particular seating arrangement and the aircraft take-off trim setting is set based on this as well. If this is the case, then why don’t the people in charge of the plane move me? As far as I can tell in the dozens and dozens of flights I’m on every year there is _no_ checking of seat assignments or weight distribution except in small jets (as previously mentioned). ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234/40 "2010-05-14T05:08:24Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > If this is the case, then why don’t the people in charge of the plane move me? As far as I can tell in the dozens and dozens of flights I’m on every year there is _no_ checking of seat assignments or weight distribution except in small jets (as previously mentioned). Because they have no way of telling you’re not in your assigned seat unless they check all of the tickets and that would be too time consuming. Normally if someone sits in the wrong seat it becomes apparent when the rightful seat owner turns up. Because you’re waiting to board last this doesn’t happen to you, and when one person does it, it doesn’t matter, but if everyone did it it would be not so good. Obviously it won’t mater for trim in a full aeroplane because the weight distribution will be similar regardless of who is sitting where. On an aeroplane with more empty seats there’s more room for problems if, for example, everyone decided to sit at the back because they thought it was safer. You’re kind of relying on everyone else doing the right thing so that you can do the wrong thing and be more comfortable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-seat-on-a-plane/539234.md?page=3)