Speaking of planes, yesterday a Delta flight from Atlanta bound for White Plains, NY had to make an emergency landing at JFK airport because the landing gear was malfunctioning.
As we’ve written about before and as this incident backs up, most plane emergencies are survivable.
A word from our friend Amanda Ripley, author of The Unthinkable:
… when they do happen, plane crashes are more survivable than we expect. And our behavior matters a great deal. Of all passengers involved in serious plane accidents between 1983 and 2000, 56 percent survived. (“Serious” is defined by the National Transportation Safety Board as accidents involving fire, severe injury, and substantial aircraft damage.)
It’s good to be reminded that all is not lost if you happen to be unlucky enough to be in a plane crash. Remember: the more information you have given your brain before anything goes wrong, the better you will do. Translation: read the safety briefing cards and listen to the flight attendants. The National Transportation Safety Board has found that passengers who read the safety information card are less likely to get hurt in an emergency.
A few things to put and keep in your brain should you find yourself in this rare situation:
- Study the safety card in front of you
- Listen to the safety and evacuation review
- Count the seats to the exits in front of and behind you when you board
Other Resources:
- Civil Aviation Authority paper on survivability
- NTSB
