# So what happeneds to peoples packages when the tranport plane crashes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124 "2009-03-28T22:21:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/1 "2009-03-28T22:21:52Z")
The recent FedEx crash got me thinking. What happened to all those packages? Im sure they are all gone but what about the senders? I assume everyone who had insurance gets it but what about those who didn’t? Do they get an im sorry letter mailed to them? Do they at least get notified? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/2 "2009-03-28T22:28:26Z")
If you didn’t buy insurance, you’re SOL. That’s what insurance is _for_; why should it be any different in this case? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/3 "2009-03-28T23:54:42Z")
FedEx tracks every package at points of transfer. I am sure they know exactly which packages were on the plane. I would hope they would notify the senders that their package cannot be delivered, but I don’t know in fact what their policy is. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/4 "2009-03-29T01:42:15Z")
I remember my Mother receiving a beat up letter once, with a note attached saying it had been delayed due to being part of evidence for a case of stolen mail. I also seem to recall us getting something that had been in a mail truck that had crashed and a lot of stuff had been damaged. I figure it’s common enough for there to be a considerate notification policy. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/5 "2009-03-29T02:38:49Z")
Dunno about plane crashes, but train derailments show up when you check the tracking number. I think someone here posted about that. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/6 "2009-03-29T02:48:47Z")
I know on passenger flights that, say your plane crashes in New York, your luggage ends up in a crash in Toledo. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/7 "2009-03-29T02:51:42Z")
If you shipped a volleyball it ends up on a remote island with 1 guy. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/8 "2009-03-29T15:25:58Z")
Many years ago I ordered a Nomex driving suit from a company in Wisconsin. I was told to expect it in 2 weeks. 3 weeks later I called the company and they claimed my package had been sent. I was told to wait another week and call back if I did not have it. A week later I called back and the company put through a rush order and made me another driving suit, I received it 6 days later. A month after receiving the driving uniform, a package arrived, the box had a sticker that stated a USPS truck had been in a traffic accident and my package may have been destroyed or damaged. I was instructed to check out the contents of the box and if it was destroyed or damaged, I was to return everything to the nearest post office. I opened the box and found the first driving suit I had ordered in a smashed and partially torn box. A letter inside stated that a USPS delivery truck had been involved in a traffic accident in Iowa. The driving uniform was fine, it has some water stains on one leg and those washed out. I got 2 driving suits for the price of one. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/9 "2009-03-29T17:08:01Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > I got 2 driving suits for the price of one. It seems to me you should have called the company, explained the circumstances, and offered to return the second suit. (They would probably have told you to keep it.) Perhaps you did so, but didn’t mention it in your post? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/10 "2009-03-29T17:11:43Z")
Back in my corporate days I recalled receiving heavy damaged packages with a note of apology, and in one case we were notified our package was destroyed, but I don’t know if such notification goes out reliably or just sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happeneds-to-peoples-packages-when-the-tranport-plane-crashes/491124/11 "2009-03-29T17:40:28Z")
Some people apparently collect “wreck covers” - envelopes that were salvaged from wrecked mail ships and/or planes. [http://wreckandcrash.org/](http://wreckandcrash.org/) I like the stamp added to the top envelope on [this page](http://wreckandcrash.org/Aspects%20of%20Interrupted%20Mail.htm) - “Delay due to air mail interruption”. Yeah, a plane crashing into a mountain would tend to “interrupt” things…