What is safer a helicopter or a plane?

Question

less crashing...surviving crashes

Answer 1

Plane is much more safer as it is longer & does not completely deform unlike an Helicopter which can explode instantly as it is a single cage-cabin!!

Answer 2

When a plane crashes; only 1 type has highest passenger survivor rate. Large passenger types by major carriers. Private planes are cool but you never hear of someone walking away from those. Privates are small and can fly faster. When something goes wrong you don't have much airframe between you and ground. Passenger planes like 707s, Airbus, 727s, 737s, 747s, and other large planes have a proven track record despite recent events. Most survivors say it was the competency of the pilots and aircrew(Flight Attendants) that saved lives. Next time you go up; pay attention. They just might save your life. Also try not to give them a hard time. They are trained to save your behind and make your flight comfortable.
Helicopters; when they crash; have either a mechanical failure or are loaded improperly. It is inherently unstable and an extremely skilled pilot has to fly it. Probably not a good idea to disturb this pilot. When an engine fails; the only thing the pilot can do is find a good place to land. The blades still turn for a few moments after failure and you are in a state of auto rotation. This is an aviation term for this condition. The chopper slowly comes down; however; depending on altitude; you could fall faster and land hard. The only drag you have is those rapidly turning blades that are slowing down. When you come down; stay in helicopter until you land and blades stop turning. Follow pilots info. very carefully on this. If you jump out before you land the blades will get you. Think cuisineart. An improperly loaded chopper is the biggest killer of them all. The pilot can only do so much; but the chopper will shift with the weight. The skills of the pilot is the only way out of this one. You usually hit the ground or other objects(poles, etc.). If you survive one of these; name your 1st born after the pilot. The Angels were defineately with the pilot on that day.
Bottom line; trust the aircrews and pilots to do their job. If you own a plane or chopper; follow the pilot's, aircrew, and mechanics guidelines. Perform regular maintenence; don't be an idiot and be cheap. If you can't afford your safety; then you should not own an aircraft. The airlines have it right; they have decades of experience and our government keeps them honest. It is still; by far; the safest way to travel anywhere in the world.
Have a safe trip.

Answer 3

It's a toss-up, actually. Any plane will continue to glide for at least some distance if all power is lost. (OK fighter jocks, except for an F-4, I know!) There is a fair chance that it can be safely landed if an airport is within range.

Conversely, if a helo loses power, the pilot can autorotate to the ground. All he needs for a safe touchdown is a flat spot of ground only slightly larger than the helo's rotor span. It's a rather hard touchdown but it IS survivable. Been there, done that!

Small aircraft generally have a higher crash record, but the crashes tend to be more survivable since much lower speeds are involved. This includes most helos.

Airliners are far and away the safest mode of transportation available. Your chances are 50 times more likely to be killed in an auto accident on the way to the airport than in an airline crash.

Answer 4

You do realize that a helicopter doesn't really fly in the conventional sense of the word. As the throttle is advanced the craft increases it's shaking until a point is reached when the Earth rejects it.

Seriously, I think I would rather go down in a helo with a good driver. That is assuming we were out of the dead man zone and the rotor stayed in tact. A fixed wing craft has it's advantages but if forced to land at other than an airport, the amount of space required can and often is a significant problem.

My thoughts are an educated opinion but they are an opinion none the less. Others may disagree and I mean them no disrespect.

Answer 5

Lot of good answers here. I am just an aviation buff. I can say that a helicopter crash is a terrifying scene. Helicopters will spin wildly and uncontrollably. In airshows, some people will go straight up, than turnoff the engine and than decend back down. They will turn it on on its way down, Do that on a helicopter. Most airplanes can glide. Asnswer: Planes

Answer 6

Depends on the situation. If your talking about an engine failure cruising at 1000' feet, I would rather be in a helicopter. I can put it down in the back of a pick-up truck whereas a plane needs a stretch of ground.
There are more things to go wrong with a rotorcraft than a fixed wing. You can lose more on a fixed wing than a rotorcraft and remain in the air (like a few feet of wing or tail).
Altho' if your talking about a 4 engine airplane and lose an engine, no problem, it was designed to fly on 3

Answer 7

Safety is relative:
In a mid-air, those who survive the immediate collision will die upon hitting the ground -- assuming they're not near the ground at time of collision..
But safety is also a factor of design and its complexity.
The miriad mechanical parts that are required to function perfectly at all times on a copter are INFINITELY more complex that those of any fixed-wing aircraft.
Hence, many more chances of parts breaking or merely malfunctioning.
End result: The copter is much less safe for the miles flown.
Remaining is the comparison of safety between large and small craft:
The PLUS side for large planes is that they are generally better-maintained than small craft, and their pilots have more experience.
The PLUS side for small craft is their:
1) Agility - they can land at a drag strip;
2) Slow speed - their touchdown speed is one-fourth that of large planes;
3) The craft's attitude at touchdown:
If a large plane loses all power and MUST land in a field, the rear of the plane will hit the ground first. (You KNOW that large planes all land with the nose high.) The craft will DEFINITELY break apart, likely with casualties.
For a small plane, its agility can still save it from major damage, even if landing in a cornfield.

Answer 8

a plane is safer than a helicopter. in any event the plane will just glide down where as the helicopter will fall directly to the earth.

Answer 9

A plane would be the best and safest if you are traveling over 300 miles and you have a long runway to land on. A helicopter would be the best if you are traveling 100-300 miles and you have very limited runway space

Answer 10

. There moving parts in both, but much more so in a helicopter. If it is a mid air then it doest matter what your in, you are going to die. But if I'm going to crash, I pick helicopters. They can auto rotate to the ground, pulling pitch just above ground level, land with no forward airspeed and make a soft landing.