Ditching aircraft during controlled flight survival rate. Many of the 40% dead could be saved by airbags?

Question

Survival rate of passengers on aircraft ditching during controlled flight 60% source;
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm
Ditching means landing on water?
Airbags are available in lap seatbelts see www.amsafe.com

Answer 1

The FAA determined years ago that 2 things would save many lives in the event of a ditching or belly landing.
1 Cease production of Airliners with windows located in cabin aside from those over the wings. This would Greatly increase the strength of the Fuselage.
2 Modify all existing Airliners, to turn all passenger seats to face the REAR of the Aircraft. in the Event of a hard landing this would prevent the whiplash effect. This would work better then Airbags and at a lower cost overall.

The problem with these 2 actions is the Flying Public would NOT accept them.

Answer 2

For airplanes it might work ok, but I know for Helos it would not, it would make it worse. When I was flying in the Navy (on SH-2 Seasprites) we were told that the survival rate for a ditched SH-2 was one man out of seven. You have to wait for the rotors to hit the water and stop turning (at which point the helo immediately turns upside down because the engines are up on the roof). Airbags would just get in the way and make it even more difficult to get out before the chopper sank so deep you couldn't swim to the surface and live. It would be cool if they could put a flotation airbag system on helos so they would float long enough for the crew to get out.

The last thing I'd say is that on fighter jets there probably is not enough room for an airbag system in the cockpit, just not a workable idea, sorry.

By the way - the Sh-2 I flew on was in an accident two months after I transferred out and all four of my friends on board were killed.

Answer 3

Why all this fuss about airplane ditching? How many airplanes in an average year actually ditch in ocean waters or any other place where rescue is not available within minutes? Your statistics page says only 60% survive aircraft ditching, but doesn't seem to mention that your aircraft ditching scenario isn't anywhere the number of people killed in car crashes, or murders in the USA every year.

If you really want to get worked up about statistics, then how about getting worked up about a REAL problem, like DRUNK DRIVERS!

Answer 4

There isn't much you can do given that most large airliners have a Vmin of about 130-160kts. When you hit the water at this speed.....things are going to come apart...quickly.
Water is non-compressable so hitting it at 130kts..is like slamming into concrete.
The biggest factor in surviving is the seat. Aircraft seats are made for lightness....not strength. particularily in the seat/floor attachment points. The impact usually results in all / most of the seats detaching and piling up on each other....resulting in massive injury and a cabin strewn with flotsam that egress isn't possible. That coupled with airframe twisting often makes exits unusable.
Still....the drive to the airport is the most dangerous part of flying..

Answer 5

The 40% of people dead don't die because of the impact, it's because they drown. If you've ever seen the show mayday (reconstructions of real crashes, not fiction), there was an episode where they had to ditch and most of the people drowned because they inflated their life vests before they left the plane, so they were stuck. Plus it would take a lot of time, money to fit all the airliners with airbags. They would have to be grounded, bugs would occur, and the airlines would lose a lot of money keeping their planes grounded until everything is done.

Answer 6

How often does an airplane have to ditch? Ask yourself that question before you go suggest spending billions of dollars completely refurbishing the entire interior of airplanes worldwide...

The idea is far too cost prohibitive to have any chance of this working out in the real world...

Answer 7

I just dont see how it could be that high.
If it is, they are doing something wrong, like digging the nose wheel into the ground or landing at best glide speed.

Answer 8

If Honda fit them to the new Gold Wing they must be good hummm deee dummm deee dummm

Answer 9

Go one more step with your research and find the cause of death of the 40%. I bet you will find it is because they drowned.

Answer 10

I know lets petition for air bags yea!