With air travel consistently being heralded as the safest form of public transport, most of us do not board a plane pondering our chances of survival in the event of a crash. Thankfully, with aviation being the safest it's ever been, despite recent events, we can confidently board an aircraft expecting to reach our destination without a hitch. Unfortunately, Murphy's Law constantly reminds us that things can and do go wrong. So, could you survive a plane crash?

The short answer is yes. But, air accident investigations over the years have given us plenty of data to analyze the science of surviving a plane crash.

The Hard Facts

According to Boeing's 55th annual release of air accident statistics, accidents have significantly declined since 1959 due to amazing advances in manufacturing, technology, and training. 

In 1959, this figure was over 50 accidents per million departures. It has since fallen to less than 1 per million, making the accident and hull loss rate the lowest it's ever been in aviation history. Aviation has the best safety records, with over 31 million departures in 2023.

How to Survive

Surviving any aircraft incident or accident starts before even boarding the aircraft. We can look at the statistics and admit the lowest fatality rate of accidents over the last 35 years or so, showing the middle rear seats as the 'safest' location. But if we want to provide ourselves with the best chance of survival and the least injury.

Choose an Exit Row Seat

Paying extra for an exit row seat will give you more legroom and ready access to an emergency exit. Even if there is a fire on your side of the aircraft, you can very quickly and easily hop over the aisle to the other side.

Be sure that you are willing and able to operate the doors. Consult the safety card to learn exactly how to open them.

Different aircraft types have different types of doors. For example, the Boeing 737 has a door that swings up and opens but stays attached to the fuselage. The A320's doors are completely detached from the frame and discarded in the event of an emergency. Make sure you know which one is at your disposal.

Know Where Your Nearest Exit Is

What if I'm not sat at or near an exit row? Not a problem. When the flight attendants ask you that anticipated question of locating your nearest exit, bearing in mind it may be behind you, do it. Look where they point, and keep in mind your nearest exit.

Do a quick count of how many rows you are away from it. And in a real emergency, do not be afraid to climb over seats and rows if necessary.

Read the Safety Card

The safety card is one of the least-read literature on a plane. I'm unsure why since it holds the key to your best chances of survival in an emergency. It's easy to read and understand. Flick through it twice to get a good idea of the safety features onboard.

The card reminds you of things you may have forgotten from the safety briefing. This brings us to the most important thing you can do to set yourself up for the best response in an emergency.

Pay Attention to the Safety Briefing!

The flight attendants spend hours of their careers demonstrating an aircraft's safety features and procedures to passengers who couldn't care less. Be the one who pays attention since a couple of those procedures are easy to mix up.

In particular, a lot of passengers will forget how to get their oxygen masks working and how to put on their life jackets. Please pay attention to how to do these things since they can differentiate between life and death.

In the Unlikely Event of an Emergency

This is all very well, but how should one react in an emergency?

The first thing to do is to stay as calm as possible and try to calm down people around you, too. The calmer the cabin, the safer. This is easier said than done - take a deep breath, centre yourself, and listen carefully to the crew. They are very well trained and know their duties in an emergency.

Next, follow instructions to a T. If you are told to don life jackets, do so. Do not inflate them until you leave the aircraft. Remind yourself of your nearest exit and have a plan as to how to get there. If the aircraft is being evacuated, move quickly and safely to that exit, guiding others where possible.

Remember, everyone will most likely be panicking and scared, so the more you can exude a sense of calm urgency, the better.

Do not stop at the door if you have to jump down the slides to evacuate. Jump onto the slide straight away and get out. If the aircraft is not on fire, try and help others down at the end of the slide. If the aircraft is ablaze or structurally unstable, run far away from the plane.

In the event of something catastrophic, such as an actual crash landing, do the same thing: keep as calm as possible, centre yourself, get your bearings and map out a path out of the aircraft. Avoid any fires and stay as low as possible under the smoke line.

In most catastrophic accidents, smoke inhalation and burns are the most common causes of death. Put a rag over your mouth, crawl if you have to, and get out however you can. Low-level lighting on the cabin floor should guide you to an exit.

Should I Help Others?

Helping other passengers is very noble and gracious, and if you are directly asked by the cabin crew, do so. However, it is up to you to make that determination. Avoid heroic attempts - you cannot help others if you are unsafe. Ensure your safety above anyone else's, however much you may want to help. Hence, you should be instructed to fit your oxygen mask before helping others.

The Bottom Line

Most crashes, accidents, and incidents are survivable. It starts with being informed, paying attention, listening to instructions, and staying calm and collected. 

It may seem quite far-fetched to think that one of us could encounter an emergency on a flight. In-flight training, this is referred to as invulnerability, one of the five hazardous attitudes pilots are trained to be aware of. It is important to know that this could happen to any of us, even though the statistics show it is very unlikely. Don't get caught out; always be prepared for that one-in-a-million chance. Once you feel prepared, you can 'sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight'.