is this possible?

Question

if an airplane is crashing.... and its over the ocean, say it doesnt break apart in the air, is it possible for the plane to hit the water and stay whole, and for the passengers in the plane to still be alive when it hits? so then say the plane is still whole and people are still alive the plane goes underwater and sinks to the bottom of the ocean and all the people in it drownd. could that happen? scientifically?

Answer 1

yes it actually does happen
planes don't just drop out of the sky and fall apart (like in lost) some sort of explosion or extreme stress would have to occur.(i believe on the 777 the wings bend 10 or 12 feet before showing signs of a failure. So, yes the fuselage of the plane would most likely be in tact when the plane hits the water. Also in plane crashes most people survive the hit because 1) the human body can take about 12x gravity 2) planes and seats are extensively tested by the FAA for strength and give to see how well they hold up 3) the brace position transfers the kinetic energy of your body to the seat in front of you faster so the stress on your body is high but short. Most deaths that occur in plane crashes is because of fire, people are either unable to get out because of something blocking the exit, they are unconscious, or they have injuries that they cannot walk with. Then finally most planes will not sink quickly like a ship because they are pressurized so they must be air tight and nothing can enter the plane, also materials that jet liners are made with are very light so they will float on water. So as unrealistic and improbable as your situation is, it could still happen. There have been some terrible crashes where no one survives and then there have been miracles where there are only minimal injuries.

Answer 2

I assume that you are talking about a normal commercial aircraft. I would say yes, it is possible for a plane to crash as you described only if the plan still has power to lower flaps and slow the aircraft down to normal landing speed to lessen the impact. If the plan has no power, there is no control and the plane will hit the water at lethal speed.

As far as the people being trapped in the plane, I believe this is very unlikely. With all the emergency exits on the planes, at least one will be usable after a crash that keeps the plane intact. So some people would be able to escape, but perhaps not all before the plane sinks.

As far as being the plane being intact and sinking to the bottom of the ocean allowing the people to survive like a submarine for a time... Completely impossible. Think of it this way, every 33 feet of water is a full atmosphere of pressure. Planes are only built to withstand at most 3/4 of an atmosphere pressure differential between the outside and inside (safety factors notwithstanding). As the plan sinks, the structure will fail and collapse into itself, unless the area where they crash is very shallow, they won't make it to the bottom.

I am a pilot and have a degree in aeronautical engineering.

Answer 3

Is it possible? Yes, anything is possible. Is it possible in Hollywood? You better believe it. Whether you know it or not, you just described the plot to the 70's movie "Airport '72" (75?)

From a professional aviator point of view, it would be very unlikely for the aircraft to remain completely intact. If it did, it would float for a little while, possibly long enough to get survivors out. And it is very possible for everyone to sink to the bottom with the airplane and drown.

Ditching an airplane in the ocean is a very severe type of emergency and is only attempted as a last resort option. Much better to crash on land, for the most part.

Answer 4

if the plane hit's the water, and does not suffer structural damage, and the doors are not opened, the plane will not sink. Remember that the aircraft id a tube of air. However mostly, upon impact, parts of the plane get damaged, which will cause it to slowly sink.
If the plane hit the water too hard, it will simply break to pieces, and the passengers will also be smashed to pieces by the force.
See Swissair Flight 111 regarding the last.

Answer 5

Yes to all parts of your question. Aircraft often survive a ditching intact and passengers and crew wind up with little more than bumps and bruises. The plane will float for a time and people have the chance to get out. If for some reason it sank to the bottom with passengers still inside, they would indeed drown. A submarine it ain't.

Answer 6

It is possible, but unlikely, as people would get the hell outa there as quickly as possible, but the density of water puts an enomous amount of stress on the airplane and it is unlikely that the plane would survive...

Answer 7

I disagree w/ mutchler ; I don't think that an intact aircraft would sink . The problem of course is how does one get a commercial jet aircraft to land on water and still remain in one piece ?
Jets refuse to fly at speeds much below 140 mph . So what happens is that the aircraft meets the water at that speed, water gets sucked into the engines which increases drag -usually unevenly .and what ultimatley happens is that the aircraft starts to do cartwheel and break apart,
Piston driven aircraft have much lower -refuse -to- fly speeds so they would hit the water much slower . Somewhere in my memory I recall seeing a photo of an airliner -DC-6 ? - floating in the Atlantic Ocean somewhere off the coast of NYC.
I believe it was in the late 1950's

Answer 8

A commercial airliner can stay afloat for quite a long time if its a smooth and slow as possible landing (close to stall speed). Aircraft have to have a maxiumum amount of time in which they have to stay afloat so its safe.

Answer 9

Yes, very possible. Anything is possible. However, with the cabin being pressurized, if they do not go very far underwater it could act like a submarine and the people can be saved as long as the air holds out.