[Req] Safest Seat on Boeing 737/Airbus A320

FrCrilly

Hi All,

Just a question on airline safety. I intend to fly regularly and I wish to choose my seat on a plane that maximises my chance of getting out safely in the event of an emergency situation. The airlines I fly with mainly consist of Boeing 737-800s or Airbus A320-200s. I presently am of the opinion that I should sit on the aisle seat of the front central emergency exit. I believe it's better to sit in the centre of plane due to impacts having a greater effect on the front and back of the aircraft. I believe in sitting in the aisle seat in the event of fire being on one of the wings (in aisle seat I have the best chance of getting out of either side of the aircraft).

This is my unqualified opinion based on what I've seen on a few episodes of "Air Crash Investigation". Can I ask people with more knowledge on the subject what they think?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks In Advance for all responses

Reoil

There are suggestions that the wings provide some form of protection, but then you're right over the fuel supply to the engines.
My suggestion would be to sit near an exit. Apart from that, each seat is the same as the next.

Flyer1

They're all the same. If you're going down then you're going down.

I always like sitting towards the back of the plane, I havem't heard of a plane backing in to a mountain yet.

jasonb

Ever see the crash in the movie 'Alive'? The front of the plane avoids the mountain, the back doesn't...

I remember reading somewhere that the tail of the plane was statisically more dangerous, but don't know how true it was.

I'd probably go with near an overwing exit. Yes, that's where the fuel is, but if fire gets involved in any potential accident, it's going to be very hard to survive wherever you are! Best bet is near an exit, assuming of course the exit doesn't accidentally blow in midair...

J.

Fratton Fred

An aisle seat within 7 rows of an exit, the nearer the better. Failing that, anyone with a parachute attached.

At the Manchester air disaster, the engines caught fire on the ground and blew the flames towards the back, so the people at the front had more chance of surviving I believe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_air_disaster

*Kol*

FrCrilly wrote: »

Hi All,

Just a question on airline safety. I intend to fly regularly and I wish to choose my seat on a plane that maximises my chance of getting out safely in the event of an emergency situation. The airlines I fly with mainly consist of Boeing 737-800s or Airbus A320-200s. I presently am of the opinion that I should sit on the aisle seat of the front central emergency exit. I believe it's better to sit in the centre of plane due to impacts having a greater effect on the front and back of the aircraft. I believe in sitting in the aisle seat in the event of fire being on one of the wings (in aisle seat I have the best chance of getting out of either side of the aircraft).

This is my unqualified opinion based on what I've seen on a few episodes of "Air Crash Investigation". Can I ask people with more knowledge on the subject what they think?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks In Advance for all responses

I think you are worrying unnecessarily about something that more than likely will never happen.

You might get to sit near the exit that the fire is outside and have to go to the other end of the plane to get out. It's one of those things that is hard to plan for.

muppet01

FrCrilly wrote: »

Hi All,

Just a question on airline safety. I intend to fly regularly and I wish to choose my seat on a plane that maximises my chance of getting out safely in the event of an emergency situation. The airlines I fly with mainly consist of Boeing 737-800s or Airbus A320-200s. I presently am of the opinion that I should sit on the aisle seat of the front central emergency exit. I believe it's better to sit in the centre of plane due to impacts having a greater effect on the front and back of the aircraft. I believe in sitting in the aisle seat in the event of fire being on one of the wings (in aisle seat I have the best chance of getting out of either side of the aircraft).

This is my unqualified opinion based on what I've seen on a few episodes of "Air Crash Investigation". Can I ask people with more knowledge on the subject what they think?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks In Advance for all responses

With all due respect,if you are that concerned with the poss of a crash why not just take the boat.If the aircraft suddenly meets a static object at 600kph your seat choice just decides how quick you meet your maker.
I am not trying to take the mickey as such but the stats prove that you are taking one of the safest modes of transport so why not try to relax and not let your seat choice affect your trip with stress.

Celtic Mech

You must have some worrying to do if your thinkin about situations like that! If the aircraft is gonna crash like a bullet at a few hundred miles per hour towards d ground then u aint gonna survive no matter where u sit!!!!
If your on an A320 i suggest you ask for a special seat next to the horizontal stab in the T.H.S. compartment and actually sit inside the black box! rumor has it thats its fairly good in accident situations!:D

Frisbee

Flyer1 wrote: »

I always like sitting towards the back of the plane, I havem't heard of a plane backing in to a mountain yet.

Always use that quote to my mam, she wont sit anywhere but the front...

The whole Madrid Aircrash apparently proved that the emergency exit you're at really can't guarantee you any sort of safety. Unless in the unlikely event of you having a succesful emergency landing whereby you are the first off - UNLESS, you fly Delta, if you take an emergency exit they make you sign a declaration thingy to say you will help others off the plane first - HA - MY ARSE!!!

Anyway, as per flyer 1 - if you're goin down you're goin down. I'd be more concerned about wearing your seatbelt to and from the airport. I'm terrified of flying, but hey,if i wanna go somewhere i have to do it. You could make yourself ill working out how not to die......

OPENROAD

Fratton Fred wrote: »

An aisle seat within 7 rows of an exit, the nearer the better. Failing that, anyone with a parachute attached.

+1

I also tend to count the seat rows to the nearest exit both in front and behind me.

pclancy

Frisbee wrote: »

Always use that quote to my mam, she wont sit anywhere but the front...

Lol wasnt that a brendan grace joke?

I'd always heard the rear and centre of aircraft were safest due to the support for the tail and wing spars but seriously...if you're gunna crash into something you're probably not going to survive the g forces. As you say sitting near an exit probably offers good escape access if theres a fire etc.

Our man in Havana

Grainne C wrote: »

The whole Madrid Aircrash apparently proved that the emergency exit you're at really can't guarantee you any sort of safety. Unless in the unlikely event of you having a succesful emergency landing whereby you are the first off - UNLESS, you fly Delta, if you take an emergency exit they make you sign a declaration thingy to say you will help others off the plane first - HA - MY ARSE!!!

Or if you you fly EI and they have put a granny in the exit row.

Fratton Fred

If the black box can survive a crash, why don't they make the entire plane the same way:D

It is also safer travelling on your own apparantly, as people with family members are more likely to wait and get them out, whereas if you're on your own you can just leg it if you like.

One other facter that happens, apparantly, is that people have a tendancy to go forward, so if the cabin is filled with smoke they will go forward 10 rows to an exit and die on the way, rather than go back 1 row to safety.

Davidth88

As a frequent flyer , Ill be honest comfort is more on my mind. I leave the safety to the professionals . I make sure I know where the exits are , and make sure I know the brace position etc but after that leave it .

I prefer to sit on row 13 on the A320 ( EI ) because this is the exit seat , not for safety but because I like the room.

Reading the Kegworth 737 crash report was interesting , a lot of the people who died actually was where the floor broke, and over the wing this is the strongest part of the aircraft with the main spa going thru there.
Of course this is tempered by the fact that you are sitting on top of the fuel.Also there were a lot of lower limb injuries because the brace postion was ' flawed ' frequent flyers may notice that BMI have a different brace position to most other airlines for this reason.

Fratton Fred

Davidth88 wrote: »

As a frequent flyer , Ill be honest comfort is more on my mind. I leave the safety to the professionals . I make sure I know where the exits are , and make sure I know the brace position etc but after that leave it .

I prefer to sit on row 13 on the A320 ( EI ) because this is the exit seat , not for safety but because I like the room.

Reading the Kegworth 737 crash report was interesting , a lot of the people who died actually was where the floor broke, and over the wing this is the strongest part of the aircraft with the main spa going thru there.
Of course this is tempered by the fact that you are sitting on top of the fuel.Also there were a lot of lower limb injuries because the brace postion was ' flawed ' frequent flyers may notice that BMI have a different brace position to most other airlines for this reason.

Place your hands on your knees, put your head between your legs and kiss your arse goodbye:D

Davidth88

Place your hands on your knees, put your head between your legs and kiss your arse goodbye

THATS THE ONE !!!!

jucylucy

Two safest seats seats are in the cockpiy away from the looney tunes in the back!!!

spunky_ie

Fratton Fred wrote: »

If the black box can survive a crash, why don't they make the entire plane the same way:D

Weight - it would be too heavy