why there are life jackets and no parachutes in flights for passengers?

Answer 1

1. At altitude, you'd freeze to death instantly upon exiting the aircraft. The temp is typically -40F to -70F. At normal cruise of 500 - 650 MPH, every bone in your body would be shattered when you hit the slipstream; most people's arms and legs would be ripped off by flailing injuries. Think of all of the crushed and frozen arms, legs, and bodies with unopened parachutes attached hitting the ground at terminal velocity -- about 125 MPH.

2. Most accidents happen during the transition period of takeoff and landing. You're too close to the ground for parachutes to be effective and there isn't enough time to get everyone out anyway.

3. There are no doors on an airliner that can be opened in flight, so there is no way to get out anyway.

4. Parachutes need to be donned before getting on the airplane. You'd need to show up 5 hours before departure to get everyone suited up. Connections would be 5 - 7 hours.

5. The bulk of the parachutes would require the airlines to remove half of the seats to make room. Add the cost of parachute riggers and staff to help passengers put them on, and airfares would quadruple at least.

6. The typical airline passenger isn't trained in the use of a parachute; it would be akin to handing a 5-year-old a loaded AK-47.

Answer 2

This is fast becoming an aswers FAQ:

There is a lot of water about and there is a possibility that a floatation device could be used by passengers (unlike a parachute - see below ... from previous answer)


Reasons why not parachutes (in the order they fell out my brain, not importance):

1. It takes room and time for experienced people to put parachutes on - even if folks were given vintage chest mounted parachutes it isn't a practical proposition in an emergency (what about kids, the ederly and infirm?). Also - are we expecting freefall or will there be time to hook up a static line?;
2. Even dropping folk out of two sides of the plane, to get a significant amount of people out in a stick type drop (like WWII parachutists) would take way too long even if you don't allow for a huge number of folks freezing/freaking in the queue;
3. Storing that amount of even chest mounted parachutes is problematic (although not impossible);
4. Assuming you had emergency opening doors (rather than the normal ones) the depresurisation (lack of oxygen plus cold) at normal altitude would kill most folks before you could get them out. If you wait until (say) 17,000 ft you are going to have very little time in an emergency to do anything;
5. Depresurising the aircraft will make any aircraft problem worse;
6. perversely available parachutes might make hijack/terrorims more likely ... Google "DB Cooper" for more information;
7. The speed of exit would make the ride 'interesting for even experienced jumpers' - imagine a giant grabbing your back and throwing you like a toy (this is from personal experience);
8. I could mention the amount of injures/deaths due to malfunctions, bad landing, collisions (with each other ... you are very very unlikely to hit the aircraft or engines) especially if a night jump or water landing but I suppose if the failure is catastrophic enough it is better than nothing.

If I think of more I will add them.


Bottom line, although it is possible to jump from a commercial jet, even at 40,000 feet (if you have supplimentary oxygen; cold weather clothing and freefall gear [unless you want to open immediately and land sometime the following day]) staying with the plane is going to be a much better bet, whatever the situation.

As a side-note, parachutes exist for entire aircraft (mostly microlights and small aircraft but their are test versions for big jets) - I suspect the sticking point is reliability combined with economics (such parachutes take space and weight quite a bit which equals money in air transport).

Blue skies =8-)

Answer 3

At the heights airlines fly, you'd be dead long before you fell far enough to reach an altitude where you could survive. Also, jumping from a plane is a tricky thing. It's not something you can learn from an in-flight briefing. Also, there are a lot of people who simply would not be physically able to successfully parachute from a plane.

It's just not a practical option.

Answer 4

parachutes? what would be the point? there is a minimum altitude that a parachute can be safely used (couple of hundred feet) how do you get 100 passengers to calmly put on a parachute in a cramped cabin as the plane goes down?

Answer 5

Because a parachute is of NO use on a commerical flight. Reasons for this:

1) to high up to safely exit. (You'd be frozen before you even knew you needed to put one on).
2) to low to have it matter (they must have time to fill with air to slow your speed down)
3) even at a medium altitude the plane is moving too fast. (You'd have broken bones from the speed of the air, not to mention that you'd be pushed right into the engine or tail of the plane and crushed/torn apart)
4) anyone over 200-250 pounds depending on type would NOT be able to use one.
5) it takes skill to be able to land safely even with a parachute
6) finally there'd never be time to get them put on and get everyone out even if 1,2, and 3 were not a problem.

There's life jackets since if you crash on water you have to worry about people being unconsicus and drowning. This is a practical method of helping and get be put on quickly with no operation required once it's on the person.

To the person who said a pilot prefers to land on water, you obviously have no clue what you are talking about. A water landing is a LAST resort. At the speeds planes land, hitting water is like hitting concrete, the only problem is that once the plane breaks it then SINKS. (Think of a bridge jumper, they hit water at a fairly slow speed, but still manage to die)

Answer 6

I think it's actually against the law to even bring your own parachute on an airplane. I think the reason is that they do not want anyone to be able to leave the plane. Opening a door to leave would depressurize the plane, too, causing numerous problems.

Making sure no one can leave helps ensure that everyone has an equal interest in the plane landing safely. Keeping the doors closed keeps the cabin pressurized. Of course, this has no effect on wackos who want to die.

Answer 7

What goes up must come down so if you are coming down over land then chances are you are not going to live to tell about it.
If you come down over water there is a 50/50 chance you will survive the crash. (depends how fast and hard and at what angle you hit the water) therefore the need for life jackets.
Normally jetliners are travelling at altitudes of 30,000ft and more and at speeds of 500mph and up. Temperature at that altitude is in excess of -40 degrees and the sudden drop in pressure once any door or opening in the plane appeared would cause an explosion like senario.
Take your chances with the life vest and pray to god you dont need it.
Flying is still the safest form of transportation.

Answer 8

You are so high that parachuting from the plane would cause you to freeze to death. Even when a plane is low enough to try, parachuting is itself so dangerous that in all likelihood your best chance is to hope to survive the impact of the crash.

Answer 9

You must be flying the no frills flights. I always have a parachute issued to me when I fly anywhere in the world. Check your ticket before you pay for it next time. If it says, "LJ only" in the little box in the bottom right corner, tell them you want to upgrade.

Answer 10

The parachutes would get sucked into the planes engines. Have you ever flown or seen a plane?