Why do 90% of planes crash into water or a field, you seldom hear of a plane crashing into a residential area.

Answer 1

As a pilot there are certain rules when crashing a plane given here in order of importance

1 Don't kill anyone on the ground
2 Don't kill your passengers
3 Don't kill yourself
4 Try not to F up the plane too bad

On every flight I have a plan should something go wrong. I keep track of the nearest airport and I am scanning ahead looking for suitable emergency landing sites. An airplane can glide for several miles with no engine power the higher up the airplane is the further it can glide and the more options the pilot has for emergency landing sites. With luck the pilot might be able to make it back to an airport if the pilot is unable to make it to an airport an empty stretch of highway or an open field are the next best options.

Answer 2

Most plane accidents occur during take-off (ice on the wings, etc.) or landing (weather, faulty gears, mechanical problems) at airports which are usually located away from residential / commercial areas.

The old Hong Kong airport was located in the center of the city. The planes would just "drop" in from the sky. Some stewardesses would warn passengers not to look out the portals when the plane approached landing. But it was a "riot" to see Mrs. Wong doing her wash on the 4th floor. Amazingly, no plane ever crashed in the city center. The new modern airport Kai Tak is now miles away by the water.

Answer 3

I think when a plane is going to crash the pilots generally know while there is still time to do SOMETHING, if not reach an airport. Therefore they try to find something they can land on like a field, or something that might result in some people living like water, but in the event it's unlikely anyone can survive, they would want to minimize outside causalities so they likely steer for less inhabited areas. I could be dead wrong though, I'm not a pilot nor do I know any, but hopefully the answer is at least logical.

Answer 4

th earth is baiscally 75% water. and 10% is urban area. the rest of the earth is open fields and woods. so 90% of the earth is water and wooded space. if 100 planes crashed, only 7-10 would find there way to someone,s living room, residential crashes does happen, such as in the cities, NYC, chicago, washington DC, lasvagas, where people on the ground has been killed.

Answer 5

I've wondered that too....Obviously pilot skill plays SOME role in where they land, but if there is a major problem with the plane and all other back up systems fail, pilot skill won't be enough. So, it could be entirely possible for a plane to crash in a populated area..but it never happens. Odd.

Answer 6

Because there is a bigger area of water and fields then there is residential areas. So statistically the plane will crash in water and fields more often.

Answer 7

I think that this has to to with the skill of the pilot and the problem with the airplane. Many pilots will look for a large area in which to attempt to land a plane, limiting the damage to the plane and the property in which it lands.
There are some occasions when this is not feasible, such as a major problem with the plane.

Answer 8

So simple assuming you are the pilot of the airplane in which you are aware that there is no other way that the airplane you flying has no choice but not to crash land. Will you choose residential area?

Answer 9

Most flight paths are routed over rural/low-populated areas for that very reason. Just look out a plane window in the middle of a flight and chances are you'll just see desert or farmland. They'll only fly over populated areas during take off and landing.

Answer 10

One of the first things you do after setting up your aircraft to the best glide speed for slowest descent and calling in the emergency, is to look for a safe landing area. Many times a farmers field s the most level and survivable and after that is beach or shallow water. Neighborhood landings are almost always fatal to someone.