Me and my friends are having this debate and im just trying to clear it up. they say that planes float....but i have never known one to float and people survive. i just want to know what the answer is.
2006-11-18 11:03:27 · 13 answers · asked by panabanana1 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
If it hits the water just right & not to much damage it may float for a short while.
Don't count on it floating just get out fast.
2006-11-18 11:10:24 · answer #1 · answered by Floyd B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Markie's right. The aircraft's low engines would cause the plane to suddenly stop, causing great stress on the fuselage, making the whole plane break up. An ideal plane for a water landing would be a DC-9 because of the high mounted engines and the smooth belly. If a DC-9 made a water landing it would have to sink after a while. Water would eventually seep into the engines, emergancy exits, static ports or any other small openings and sink the plane. Also, think logically. If a plane made a water landing, and didn't break up on landing, everybody would be rushing to get outside and open the emergency exits, letting a faster flow of water inside the plane. With all the weight of the plane and the non-bouyant metal materials it's made of, the plane would have to sink. The only planes that won't sink, are planes designed to stay afloat like planes with pontoons or flying boats, which have a hull much like a boat.
2006-11-19 03:05:43 · answer #2 · answered by Dan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reality is that the aircraft can float untill rescue comes, but the impact and the ditching conditions do not allow that to happen. Most aircraft have low slung engines, and it is the first thing to hit the water, it acts like giant scoops which will tear the wings apart upon ditiching. If there was some way of limiting the damage from the engine hitting the water and stressing the wing, then the next thing will to be worry about the fuselage as it cannot take too much stresses. The pilot will have to glide in, without engines running, and allow the rear of the aircraft to touch first then allowing the front to come down slowly without hitting any waves. It is very difficult for a large commerical aircraft to attempt this as there is alot of varibles to take in account.
2006-11-19 01:11:05 · answer #3 · answered by markie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buoyancy for the airplane is contributed primarily by the pressurized section of the fuselage and the integral wing fuel tanks.To these are added the effect of the main landing gear tires,nose wheel well and engines.
Passenger aircraft's designed to be capable of ditching safely on the water and stay afloat. That is why there are slide rafts in the aircraft capable of accommodating more than 300 passengers in the event of a safe ditching on the sea.
How long will the aircraft stay afloat on the water will depends on many factors. Firstly, there must not be substantial damage on the aircraft body to cause massive leaks. Secondly, the ditching must be properly executed. And the sea condition must also be reasonably smooth.
If you want to know more have a look this
http://www.equipped.com/ditchtoc.htm
http://www.geocities.com/khlim777_my/asditchingissues.htm
2006-11-18 14:39:29 · answer #4 · answered by nov666 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your word was crash--in a crash the impact usually scatters debris and aircraft parts over a wide area. Water is just as hard as land when the speed of the object is such that it breaks apart upon hitting the water.
In years past aircraft were fitted with flotation devices to give the passengers ample time to evacuate and possible survive until rescue. With the high speed of modern aircraft,any chance of survival given the force of impact is not likely.
The Floation custions are a joke and meant to be a pacificer for the weak minded.
2006-11-18 13:59:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they sink,
maybe you are looking for a more detailed answer: Even if the aircraft remains structurally sound ( which would be hard to do being water is as hard as concrete when impacted at high rates of speed) it might not sink right away, but it will sink very quickly the belly/cargo hold has spaced vents that allow air to seep out while the aircraft is flying and the cabin is pressurized. thus it would sink like a holey boat once in the water. it was meant to fly not float
2006-11-18 11:23:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do float, just not indefinitely. Airplanes are essentially tubes full of air, and therefore are bouyant. This bouyancy however decreases as water enters the cabin. Airplanes are not airtight, so water actually fills them up pretty fast, but initially, yes they will float. Generally long enough for everyone thats onboard to get out.
2006-11-19 11:12:23 · answer #7 · answered by Jason 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All of these people are right in a way. It all sums up to one thing:
No matter how hard or how soft a plane hits the water; no matter how slow of fast a plane hits the water; and no matter how many seat cushions there are on board the plane, The plane will eventually sink into the water, whether it's in 10 seconds or 1 hour.
Why? Because all airplanes are made of tin, aluminum, metal, or iron. All of these substances are much denser than water, and will sink.
2006-11-18 11:36:47 · answer #8 · answered by nerris121 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most aircraft are designed to float for a limited time. Unfortunatlly most aircraft landings on water are not controlled so the aircraft breaks up.
2006-11-18 17:02:53 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it depends at what angle and speed the plane hits the water at.
At a slow speed and low angle, I think there'd be a chance it would stay intact and float. If its going at any speed though it'll disintagrate.
2006-11-18 11:12:11 · answer #10 · answered by Cardinal Fang 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋