how many survivors have there ever been following an airplane crash over water?

Answer 1

http://www.planecrashinfo.com/unusual.htm

Major Survival Factors. Survivors of aircraft accidents in water may be subjected to post impact fires, fuel/vapor inhalation, ingestion, hypothermia, further injury from debris, drowning, freezing, and/or attack by marine life.
The NTSB Aircraft Accident Report AAR-82-8 states that aircrash survivability depends on certain factors:

That the deceleration forces do not exceed the known tolerable limits of the human body.
That the restraint system-seatbelts, seat structure, and seat anchorage points remain intact.
That the occupied areas remain relatively intact to prevent ejection and to provide living space for the occupants.

If any of the above is absent, the likelihood of a successful rescue is significantly diminished.
b. Water Temperature. Survivors of water crashes must depend more on rescue personnel than survivors of similar incidents on dry land because of exposure related issues. Not only will the passengers be unprepared to be in water, but they will also experience increased body-cooling rates due to evaporating fuel. We recommend that rescue personnel consider all survivors to suffer from hypothermia until medical personnel determine otherwise.
c. Duration of Exposure. Rescue plans must also take into account the proper treatment of survivors after their rescue. The rescue craft should hold materials for removing fuel from survivors and the proper number of blankets, which will keep survivors from experiencing hypothermia or even death while in transit to medical facilities. The blankets on rescue craft should be made of wool and not polertec, fleece, space blanket material, or other fabrics.
d. Evacuation. Water rescue planning must account for problems transporting survivors from the water to pre-determined triage, decontamination, and transportation zones.
e. Nature of Injuries. Passengers in aircraft accidents may sustain substantial cardiac injuries that result in significant internal bleeding. As a result, rescue personnel should place all survivors in a supine position until medical personnel can evaluate them.
4.WATER RESCUE RESPONIBILITIES.
a. Certificated Airports. In accordance with 14 CFR Part 139, certificated airport operators are to include in their airport emergency plans provisions for the rescue of aircraft accident victims from significant bodies of water or marsh lands situated adjacent to the airports and beneath the approach and departure flight paths of air carriers.
(1)Significant Body of Water. A body of water or marshland is significant if the area exceeds one-quarter square mile (0.6 sq km) and cannot be traversed by conventional land rescue vehicles. The emergency plan should include significant bodies of water located within at least 2 miles (3.2 km) of the end of an airport runway.
(2)Identification of Responders. The airport emergency plan should include the name, address, and telephone number of each water rescue squad, service, or government agency (i.e., Coast Guard, Harbor Patrol or specially trained marine law enforcement and fire department units) responsible for conducting water rescue operations in the significant body of water.
b. Primary Response Agency Other Than Airport. Even when the airport operator is not the primary response agency, it has responsibility for implementing the airport emergency plan and ensuring that the appropriate rescue agency/agencies are formally notified of the possibility of an aircraft accident where there is a significant body of water.
(1)Mutual Aid. Because of jurisdictional or logistical reasons, an airport operator may need to develop a water rescue plan that consists of a written mutual aid agreement identifying an entity other than the airport to act as the primary response agency. Such agreements are typically signed with the local fire/rescue department, Coast Guard, Marine Police, Harbor Patrol, or National Guard. A water rescue plan may also contain additional signed agreements with private entities, such as tug operators, ferries, marina facilities, medical helicopter services, crane operators, and construction or recovery crews.
(2)Responders Identified and Involved in Exercises. At certificated airports, where another entity will assume the role of the primary response agency, the airport operator should specify the responsibilities and duties in a written mutual aid agreement. In accordance with 14 CFR Part 139, the airport's emergency plan (including responders identified and involved in exercises) must be thoroughly reviewed periodically, (i.e., an annual tabletop and a full-scale exercise every 3 years). The airport operator should also periodically evaluate the airport water rescue component as part of either the annual tabletop or tri-annual, full-scale emergency exercise.

USATODAY.com - On Deadline: ArchivesI can sort of understand when they go over water (but how many water crash survivors have ever even lived to say "my seat cushion saved my life" ? ...
blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/07/reports_no_surv.html - 44k - Cached

Answer 2

I can't believe so many people think there has never been a survivable water landing ...crash!

While Jet aircraft are very poor candidates to survive a water landing, there is one from the fifties all pax survived and waited aboard the aircraft for rescue, or at least In 1956, Pan Am 943 (a Boeing 377) ditched into the Pacific after losing two of its four engines. The aircraft was able to circle around USCGC Pontchartrain (a manned navigation ship) until daybreak, when it ditched; all 31 onboard survived

The older prop jobs floated very well, the fuel tanks if they survive are very good floats, even if they were full of gas they will still keep the aircraft bouyant!

Answer 3

If the aircraft plummets nose first into water, it doesn't do very well. If it ditches, which means that it was for some reason forced to "land"in water because it could not reach land, it usually does better. planes do not instantly sink, and the water is usually a much more even surface to belly flop onto than land is. survivability rates are relatively good for deep water ditchings. Think about it, would you rather jump off of a 40 foot cliff onto land or into water? I'll give you a hint, drowning should not be your primary concern.

Answer 4

On may 2 1970 a DC-9 ditched in St. Croix. of the 63 people on board 27 survived and floated for a few hours before being rescued.

Answer 5

Thats like asking, how many survivors have there ever been following an car crash? I think Meldorhan explained all the verables involved very will.
As a pilot with over 33,000 hours logged I feel safer flying than driving a car. More people are killed in car wrecks each year than any other means of travel. In fact, more people are killed in bicycle accidents around the world a year than in airplanes.
Amazing how many people have fear of flying but will jump in a car and never worry.
One final bit of information. More people die in bed sleeping each year around the world than are killed in airplane accidents....Hmmmm

Answer 6

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Answer 7

ZERO...the "flotation device" seat thing is completely useless since you would probably be unconscious after hitting the water if you don't get ripped apart in the crash. However there have been military pilots and crew that have survived many water landings...but those were controlled ditching's not crashes.

Answer 8

I cannot recall hearing of any plane crashing "over" water... into the water.. yes.

If that is what you mean... I seriously doubt records have been kept on that... but you can rest assure that some have surrived.

Answer 9

there was one off of Long Island in the 50's or 60's where all survived a "Ditch" into the ocean.

Answer 10

i dont realy understand the question,but the only survivors i have heard of is 2 survivors ona japenese airplain accross sea's

Answer 11

there have been several i cant remember only one took off at midday in n york and fellback into the river which was freezing