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You wouldn't get very far on a flight without pilots: They're the people who put all that sophisticated equipment to work. On commercial airlines, there are always at least two pilots, and on many flights, there are three. All airline pilots have had extensive training and flying experience, often as part of military service. The road from the first training flight to the airline cockpit is a long and difficult one, but for many pilots, this is the only way to go. To learn more about this career path, check out How Becoming an Airline Pilot Works.

On an airliner, the pilot in command is called the captain. The captain, who generally sits on the left side of the cockpit, is ultimately responsible for everything that happens on the flight. This includes making major command decisions, leading the crew team, managing emergencies and handling particularly troublesome passengers. The captain also flies the plane for much of the trip, but generally trades off with the first officer at some point.

The first officer, the second in command, sits on the right side of the cockpit. He or she has all of the same controls as the captain, and has had the same level of training. The primary reason for having two pilots on every flight is safety. Obviously, if something happens to the captain, a plane must have another pilot who can step in. Additionally, the first officer provides a second opinion on piloting decisions, keeping pilot error to a minimum.

Most airliners built before 1980 have a cockpit position for a flight engineer, also called the second officer. Typically, flight engineers are fully trained pilots, but on an ordinary trip, they don't fly the plane. Instead, they monitor the airplane's instruments and calculate figures such as ideal takeoff and landing speed, power settings and fuel management. In newer airliners, most of this work is done by computerized systems, eliminating the need for the flight-engineer position. In the future, it will be phased out entirely.

All three pilots in the flight crew have equal levels of training, but they usually have varying degrees of seniority. At most airlines, the career track is based almost completely on length of service. To become a captain, you have to rise through the ranks and wait until it's your turn and a position opens up. Seniority also dictates the sorts of planes a pilot flies, as well as his or her schedule. Pilots who are relatively new to the airline will fly reserve, meaning they do not have a set flying schedule. A reserve pilot may have "on call" duty for 12 hours or longer at a stretch. In this time, the pilot has to be packed and ready to fly, because the flight scheduler might page them at any moment. If a pilot is called in, he or she reports to the airport immediately for a flight assignment (for many airlines, the pilot must be ready to go within an hour of being paged). Reserve pilots are called up when the scheduled pilot becomes ill or can't make the flight for some other reason. The life of the reserve pilot is largely unpredictable: Pilots might spend several days on reserve and never get paged, or they might get paged every day. And when they report for duty, they could be flying over to the next state or they might be putting in a three-day trip to another part of the world. With this hectic schedule, it's no wonder flights are occasionally delayed while waiting around for crew members to arrive.

Pilots with more seniority pick out a regular flight schedule, called a line. Pilots holding a line live a more "ordinary" sort of life, in the sense that they know ahead of time when they'll be working. But even these pilots spend a lot of time away from their families, and they never know what delays they'll encounter. In the United States, a pilot's scheduled flight time should not exceed 8 hours in a row for domestic flights or 12 hours for international flights. In actuality, however, pilots may work for more than 16 hours straight, since flights are often delayed or extended.

A pilot typically arrives at the airport at least an hour before departure (two hours for international flights). Most airlines have a computerized check-in system in the pilot's lounge. This gives the pilots the details of the flight, including the weather, the number of passengers on board and the other crew members who will be working. In order to keep everything in one place, pilots generally keep their flight papers and any other information in a large briefcase.

In the time before take-off, a pilot reviews this information, works out the flight plan, files it with air traffic control and meets with the rest of the crew. Once the airplane has landed, the captain meets with the arriving flight crew to find out if they experienced any irregularities. The first officer performs a general inspection of the plane to make sure everything is in good order. After this walk-through, the pilots meet in the cockpit and make sure all of the instruments and controls are working properly.

Before takeoff, the captain must sign the flight release, a document attesting that the crew is fit and that the pilots have reviewed the flight information. While they're preparing for takeoff, the pilots will receive an up-to-date weather report and passenger count and a pre-departure clearance form. To make the paperwork easier, many cockpits are equipped with a built-in printer that receives information from the gate agents and the control tower.

When the paperwork is finished, the attendants secure all the doors and the captain gives the go-ahead for push back (pushing the plane back from the gate so it can move onto the runway). Then, the pilots simply wait their turn and follow the air traffic controller's instructions for takeoff.

In an uneventful flight, takeoff and landing require the most intensive piloting. In modern airliners, the pilot's main responsibilities are to monitor the automatic systems to make sure the plane is flying correctly and to alter the course as needed. In an emergency, of course, things can get a lot more hectic. All airline pilots have extensive training in dealing with the unexpected and keeping a cool head in precarious situations. Fortunately, it is only on rare occasions that pilots have to put this training to work, but they must be ready to leap into action at all times.

The life of flight attendants -- the crew members who take care of the passengers -- is also filled with unpredictability. In the next section, we'll look at the work that flight attendants do on a flight, and we'll find out what it takes to become a flight attendant.

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"Being an airline crew member can be tiring, but rarely boring. Find out how pilots and flight attendants get you from gate to gate."

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During a plane emergency, flight attendants know exactly what to do.

It's a flight attendant's primary role to keep passengers safe - serving you drinks and meals comes second.

To know exactly what to do in an emergency, flight attendants must complete about two months of extensive, hands-on training.

Even though midair disasters like the one that happened aboard Southwest Airlines flight 1380 on Tuesday are rare, plane emergencies are a possibility when you fly.

After Flight 1380 experienced a major engine failure, along with a window failure, that resulted in a passenger death on Tuesday, Southwest's crew were commended for how they handled the emergency landing - and they have their extensive training to thank.

"By all accounts, the crew - both the pilots and the flight attendants - did an outstanding job," wrote Patrick Smith, a commercial airline pilot who runs the blog AskThePilot.com. "That is to say, they did exactly what they were trained to do, what they were supposed to do, and what they were expected to do."

It's understandable that the story would strike fear into even the most confident flier's heart.

But you may take some comfort in learning that airline crew on all airlines are trained extensively on how to handle any emergency - ensuring your safety is, after all, their primary role.

"People think we are just there to serve up Cokes and attitude, but we're fully equipped to save you and your loved ones in an emergency," Riley, a flight attendant with three years' experience, told Business Insider.

Other flight attendants say one of the most common misconceptions people have about their jobs - that they are simply glorified waitresses - is flat out wrong.

"Our job is dangerous, physically demanding, and laden with immense responsibility for the safety, security, and survival of our passengers," a flight attendant with 23 years' experience told Business Insider.

Here's how flight attendants know exactly what to do during a plane emergency:

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A flight attendant's primary job is to keep you safe - and they're trained extensively for any kind of emergency

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Here's an inside look at the extensive, sometimes eight-week training all flight attendants must pass to keep passengers safe.

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Improving aircraft safety | The Psychologist

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The widespread uptake of CRM programmes produced a culture change in aviation. Early CRM approaches were predicated on avoiding error and focused on improving management style and interpersonal skills on the flight deck. Emphasis was placed upon improving communication, attitudes and leadership to enhance teamwork.

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TRAGEDI pesawat terhempas agak jarang berlaku di negara ini, apatah lagi melibatkan penerbangan komersial yang membawa ratusan jiwa penumpang.

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A preliminary investigation by safety officials has found that poor pilot training - not windshear - was at fault in the recent Lion Air crash in Indonesia, raising concerns about human error and the role it plays in air crashes.

On 13 April, two pilots operating a Lion Air Boeing 737 undershot a runway at Ngurah Rai Airport and crashed into the waters off Bali. Preliminary findings from the investigation found that a 24-year-old captain could not see the runway upon descent and was forced to hand over control of the plane to a co-captain at 46m - below the minimum altitude considered safe. While a full investigation is not yet complete, the preliminary findings have ruled out any fault with the aircraft.

Pilot error refers to any action or decision - or lack of proper action - made by a pilot that plays a role in an accident. This may include a simple mistake, a lapse in judgment or failure to exercise due diligence. There are two types of pilot error, according to Aviation Safety Magazine: tactical errors, which are related to a pilot's poor actions or decisions, often caused by fatigue, inebriation or lack of experience; and operational errors, related to problems with flight instruction and training. In the case of the Lion Air incident, it appears both lack of experience and poor training may have played a part.

In fact, pilot error is the leading cause of commercial airline accidents, with close to 80% percent of accidents caused by pilot error, according to Boeing. The other 20% are mainly due to faulty equipment and unsafe, weather-related flying conditions.

Although policies put in place to reduce pilot error are not universal across the world, there are varying guidelines about how long a pilot can captain a flight, how many co-pilots should be present and how many hours a pilot can fly before taking mandatory breaks. There are also varying guidelines about how many hours of training pilots must complete, below what altitude they should not hand over control of a plane and when they should abort landings.

The investigation report has recommended that Lion Air implement several safety measures, including reviewing "the policy and procedures regarding the risk associated with changeover of control at critical altitudes or critical time".

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A preliminary investigation by safety officials has found that poor pilot training was at fault in the 13 April Lion Air crash in Indonesia.

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All 189 passengers and crew aboard a crashed Indonesian Lion Air jet were likely killed in the accident, rescue officials said Monday, as they announced they had found human remains and would continue the grim search through the night.

The Boeing-737 MAX, which went into service just months ago, vanished from radar 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta, plunging into the Java Sea moments after it had asked to return to the Indonesian capital.

Websites that display flight data showed the plane speeding up as it suddenly lost altitude in the minutes before it disappeared, with authorities saying witnesses saw the jet plunge into the water.

"My prediction is that nobody survived because the victims that we found, their bodies were no longer intact and it's been hours so it is likely 189 people have died," search and rescue agency operational director Bambang Suryo Aji told reporters.

Some 40 divers are part of about 150 personnel at the scene, authorities said, with the plane wreckage some 30 to 40 metres deep in the water.

Earlier, video footage apparently filmed at the scene of the crash showed a slick of fuel on the surface of the water and pictures showed what appeared to be an emergency slide and bits of wreckage bearing Lion Air's logo.

The carrier acknowledged that the jet had previously been grounded for unspecified repairs.

"It's a really mystery what could have happened," said Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of industry publication Flightglobal.

"Hopefully they will be able to locate the (cockpit) voice data recorders."

The plane had been en route to Pangkal Pinang city, a jumping off point for beach-and-sun seeking tourists on nearby Belitung island, when it dropped out of contact around 6.30 am (2330 GMT).

One Italian national was aboard the plane which was flown by an Indian pilot, the transportation ministry said.

Images filmed at Pangkal Pinang's main airport showed families of passengers crying and hugging each other, with some calling out to god.

"This morning he called asking about our youngest son," said a sobbing Ermayati, referring to her 45-year-old husband Muhammed Syafii, who was on board.

At Jakarta's main airport, Zainal Abidin waited desperately for news about his daughter.

"If my daughter is dead, I just wish she'll be buried properly," the 63-year-old said.

Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) said there were 178 adult passengers, one child, two infants, two pilots and six cabin crew on board flight JT 610.

About 20 finance ministry employees were on the plane, including half a dozen colleagues of Sony Setiawan who missed check in for a flight he took weekly due to bad traffic.

"I know my friends were on that flight," he told AFP.

Setiawan said he was only informed about his lucky escape after he arrived in Pangkal Pinang on another flight.

"My family was in shock and my mother cried, but I told them I was safe, so I just have to be grateful."

Lion Air said the plane had only gone into service in August.
The pilot and co-pilot had more than 11,000 hours of flying time between them and had recent medical checkups and drug testing, it added.

Lion Air chief Edward Sirait said the plane had an unspecified technical issue fixed in Bali before it was flown back to Jakarta.

"Engineers in Jakarta received notes and did another repair before it took off" on Monday, Edward Sirait told AFP, calling it "normal procedure".

US-based Boeing said it was "deeply saddened" by news of the crash.

Boeing, just days out from its first commercial delivery of the 737 MAX in May last year, reportedly suspended its release due to an engine issue, according to airline safety and product review site airlineratings.com.

It said the engines were a product of a joint venture between US-based General Electric and France's Safran Aircraft Engines.

Earlier this year, Lion Air announced it was buying 50 Boeing 737 MAX 10 jets for USD 6.24 billion.

Indonesia's air travel industry is booming, with the number of domestic passengers growing significantly over the past decade, but it has acquired a reputation for poor regulation and its airlines had previously been banned from US and European airspace.

In August 2015, a commercial passenger aircraft operated by Indonesian carrier Trigana crashed in Papua due to bad weather, killing all 54 people on board.

A year earlier poor maintenance and the pilots' inadequate response was blamed for the crash of an AirAsia plane crashed with the loss of 162 lives.

Lion, a low-cost airline which has engaged in a huge expansion in recent years, has been involved in a number of incidents including a fatal 2004 crash and a collision between two Lion Air planes at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport.

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Indonesia plane crash: All 189 passengers, crew on Lion Air likely killed

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Read more about Indonesia plane crash: All 189 passengers, crew on Lion Air likely killed on Business Standard. The Boeing-737 MAX vanished from radar 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta, plunging into the Java Sea moments after it had asked to return to the Indonesian capital

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Descriptions of significant accidents and incidents, derived from official accident investigation reports. Longer and more detailed than synopses, shorter than the reports themselves, they offer an accessible account that includes facts, findings of causal factors and the investigating authority's recommendations.
Monthly. Established 1948. Two-color newsletter, 8-1/2-inch x 11-inch format, usually four to 16 pages.
Accident Prevention was one of the seven separate FSF publications that were superseded by AeroSafety World in 2006. Issues dating back to 1988 can be read online and downloaded through the links below. Use the search engine at the top of the page to locate issues with information about specific topics.
Accident Prevention 2005-2006 Accident Prevention 2004 Accident Prevention 2003 Accident Prevention 2002 Accident Prevention 2001 Accident Prevention 2000 Accident Prevention 1999 Accident Prevention 1998 Accident Prevention 1997 Accident Prevention 1996 Accident Prevention 1995 Accident Prevention 1994 Accident Prevention 1993 Accident Prevention 1992 Accident Prevention 1991 Accident Prevention 1990 Accident Prevention 1989 Accident Prevention 1988

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Accident Prevention - Flight Safety Foundation

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Descriptions of significant accidents and incidents, derived from official accident investigation reports. Longer and more detailed than synopses, shorter than the reports themselves, they offer an accessible account that includes facts, findings of causal factors and the investigating authority's recommendations. Monthly. Established 1948. Two-color newsletter, 8-1/2-inch x 11-inch format, usually four to 16 pages.

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Lion Air flight JT 610 has crashed into the sea, with nearly 190 people on board, shortly after taking off from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

A lot of attention has focused on the fact the plane, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was brand new. This is the first major incident involving that kind of plane.

Details so far have been scant and the cause will not be confirmed until a full investigation has been carried out.

Plane crashes are often the result of a combination of factors - both technical and human - but could the fact that the plane was so new have played any part?

Passenger plane crashes in sea off Jakarta

How likely are you to survive a plane crash?

The world's worst air disasters

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 has only been in commercial use since 2017.

Budget carrier Lion Air said in July it was "very proud" to be the first in Indonesia to deploy the plane, and that it had ordered as many as 218 units.

The plane involved in Monday's incident has only been in operation since 15 August.

It had logged only 800 hours of flight time, according to the head of the National Transportation Safety Commission, Soerjanto Tjahjano.

The pilot is reported to have radioed air traffic control in Jakarta asking for permission to turn back, shortly after taking off.

Lion Air's chief executive said the flight had suffered from an unspecified "technical problem" in a previous flight, but that it had been "resolved according to procedure", Reuters reports.

Edward Sirait said Lion Air was currently operating 11 aircraft of the same model. He said there were no plans to ground the rest of the planes.

'Snags' sorted quickly

Aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman told the BBC that "very old aircraft are usually at the highest risk [of accidents], but very young aircraft also carry a high risk".

"If it's very new there are sometimes snags that only reveal themselves after they are [used routinely]. These usually get sorted [within] the first three months."

The plane would have hit the three month mark in just a few weeks.

However, another aviation analyst, Jon Ostrower, said new planes generally "enjoy a maintenance holiday because everything is so new, not the reverse".

Mr Ostrower, editor of aviation publication The Air Current, said there were "always new teething issues... that's common, but a far cry from something that would threaten the safety of an airplane".

Both analysts said it's too early to draw definitive conclusions about what went wrong with Flight JT 610.

"It's likely to be technical issues that caused it but it's still very early days. We can really [only determine the cause] when we get more information," said Mr Soejatman.

Mr Ostrower echoed this.

"I don't know what would make a plane this new crash. There are so many different factors that can contribute to an accident like this," he told the BBC.

According to Boeing, the 737 MAX series is the fastest-selling airplane in its history, and has accumulated almost 4,700 orders.

The MAX 8 has been ordered by airlines including American Airlines, United Airlines, Norwegian and FlyDubai.

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Lion Air flight JT 610 has crashed into the sea, with nearly 190 people on board, shortly after taking off from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. A lot of attention has focused on the fact the plane, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was brand new. This is the first major incident involving that kind of plane.

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Why do aircraft crash? A look at the satistics behind plane accidents

What phase of flight is the most dangerous?

Swiss Cheese Model

Aircraft accidents never occur due to one particular reason, there are always a multitude of factors which contribute towards an aircraft crash or incident. An example might be pilot fatigue, coupled with bad weather and a technical problem. If any one of these single factors were not present, the crash wouldn't have happened. In the industry, this is called the "Swiss Cheese Model". If you imagine lots of different slices of Swiss Cheese, from different blocks of cheese, all lined up next to each other, the chances are that you won't be able to see all the way through one of the holes, as the holes will all be in different places. Each slice of cheese represents an individual factor such as fatigue, poor weather or poor standard of training. On rare occasions all the holes line up together, that is to say all the factors come together to cause an accident.

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Why do planes crash? Aircraft accident causes | FlightDeckFriend.com

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A look at the causes of plane crashes and when they are most likely to happen. What can bring a modern commercial airliner down?

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You're in a plummeting plane, or behind the wheel of a careening car whose brakes have failed. What can you do? Read on.

Below are some strategies, taken from "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel" (Chronicle Books), the second in the series of wildly successful survival books. Authors Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht have asked experts to describe what they would do on a range of terrifying problems, from scorpion stings to runaway trains.
HOW TO SURVIVE AN AIRPLANE CRASH To Decrease The Odds Of A Crash
1. Take a nonstop flight, if possible.
Most accidents happen in the takeoff and landing phases of flight; the fewer stops you make, the less chance of an accident.

2. Watch the skies.
Many accidents involve severe weather. As takeoff time approaches, check the weather along the route, particularly in places where you will land. Consider delaying your flight if the weather could be severe.

3. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants made of natural fibers.
Radiant heat and flash burns can be avoided if you put a barrier between you and the heat. Avoid easy-care polyester and nylon: most synthetic materials that aren't specifically treated to be fire resistant will melt at relatively low temperatures (300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Synthetic fabrics will usually shrink before they melt, and if they are in contact with skin when this happens, they will make the burn – and its treatment - much more serious. Wear closed-toe, hard soled shoes; you might have to walk through twisted, torn metal or flames. In many cases, people survive the crash, but are killed or injured by post-impact fire and its by-products, like smoke and toxic gases.

4. Select a seat on the aisle, somewhere in the rear half of the cabin.
The odds of surviving a crash are higher in the middle-to-rear section compared to the middle-to-front section of the cabin. An aisle seat offers the easiest escape route access, unless you are sitting right next to an emergency exit: If you can get a window seat right next to an emergency exit, this is a better choice.

5. Listen to the safety briefing and locate your nearest exits.
Most airplane accident survivors had listened to the briefing and knew how to get out of the plane. Pick an exit to use in case of emergency, and an alternate in case the first one is not available.

6. Count the seats between you and the exits in case smoke fills the plane and you cannot see them.
Make sure you understand how the exit doors work and how to operate them.

7. Practice opening your seat belt a few times.
Many people mistakenly try to push the center of the buckle rather than pull up on it.
To Prepare For The Crash. 1. Make sure that your seat belt is tightly fastened and that your chair back is fully upright. 2. Bend forward with one arm across your knee.
3. Placyour pillow in your lap and hold your head against the pillow with your free arm.

4. Push your legs forward and brace for impact by placing your feet or knees against the chair in front of you.
If you are over water, loosen your shirt (and tie) so that your movement is not restricted when you attempt to swim. Be ready for two jolts: when the plane hits the water and when the nose hits water again.

5. Stay calm and be ready to help yourself.
The vast majority of crash survivors were able to get out either under their own power or with the help of someone already on the plane. Fire and rescue personnel are unlikely to enter the airplane to pull you out.

6. Do not take anything with you.
If you have something you absolutely cannot part with, you should keep it in your pocket and not in your carry-on baggage.

The authors say: "All the information in this book comes directly from experts in the situation at hand, but we do not guarantee that the information contained herein is complete, safe, or accurate, nor should it be considered a substitute for your good judgement and common sense."

7. Stay low if the plane is on fire.
Follow the exit procedures described in the safety briefing. Illuminated floor lights should indicate the exits: the lights are red where the exits rows exist.
HOW TO STOP A CAR WITH NO BRAKES
1. Begin pumping the brake pedal and keep pumping it.
You may be able to build up enough pressure in the braking system to slow down a bit, or even stop completely. If you have anti-lock brakes, you do not normally pump them – but if your brakes have failed, this may work.

2. Do not panic - relax and steer the car smoothly.
Cars will often safely corner at speeds much higher than you realize or are used to driving. The rear of the car may slip; steer evenly, being careful not to overcorrect.
3. Shift the car into the lowest gear possible and let the engine and transmission slow you down.
4. Pull the emergency brake - but not too hard.
Pulling too hard on the emergency brake will cause the rear wheels to lock, and the car to spin around. Use even, constant pressure. In most cars, the emergency brake (also known as the hand brake or parking brake) is cable operated and serves a a fail safe brake that should still work, even when the rest of the braking system has failed. The car should slow down and, in combination with the lower gear, will eventually stop.

5. If you are running out of room, try a "bootlegger's turn."
Yank the emergency brake hard while turning the wheel a quarter turn in either direction – whichever is safer. This will make the car spin 180 degrees. If you were heading downhill, this spin will head you back uphill, allowing you to slow down.

6. If you have room, swerve the car back and forth across the road.
Making hard turns at each side of the road will decrease your speed even more.

7. If you come up behind another car, use it to help you stop.
Blow your horn, flash your lights, and try to get the driver's attention. If you hit the car, be sure to hit it square, bumper to bumper, so you do not knock the other car off the road. This is an extremely dangerous maneuver: It works best if the vehicle in front of you is larger than yours - a bus or truck is ideal - and if both vehicles are traveling at similar speeds. You do not want to crash into a much slower-moving or stopped vehicle, however.

8. Look for something to help stop you.
A flat or uphill road that intersects with the road you are on, a field, or a fence will slow you further but not stop you suddenly. Scraping the side of your car against a guardrail is another option. Avoid trees and wooden telephone poles: They do not yield as readily.
9. Do not attempt to sideswipe oncoming cars.
10. If none of the above steps has enabled you to stop and you are about to go over a cliff, try to hit something that will slow you down before you go over.
This strategy will also leave a clue for others that someone has gone over the edge. But since very few cliffs are sheer drops, you may fall several feet and then stop.

© MMI Viacom Internet Services Inc. All Rights Reserved. Excerpted with permission from the publisher, Chronicle Books, "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel," published in 2001

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We often think that plane crashes are catastrophic and unsurvivable events. Thanks to movies and 24/7 news channels, the enduring image of a plane crash usually involves an aircraft plummeting to the ground from 30,000 feet and obliterating everyone on board in a terrifying fireball.

Thankfully, that isn't the case. In a report analyzing airline accidents from 1983 to 2000, the National Transportation Safety Board found that the survival rate of crashes was 95.7%. Sure, there are some accidents where everyone, or nearly everyone, died, but those are much rarer than you'd guess based on what you see in the news. The NTSB found that even in serious accidents where fire and substantial damage occurred, 76.6% of passengers still survived.

Combine those stats with the relative rarity of airplane accidents even happening in the first place (the average American's chances of being killed in an airplane crash are about 1 in 11 million), and you can see that flying is actually the safest form of transportation there is. Taking to the road on an average day is far more dangerous - it just doesn't feel like it because you have four (or two) wheels on the ground and a sense of control.

But it's important to take note of another interesting tidbit that the FAA and NTSB found in their research on plane crashes: 40% of fatalities that did occur happened in crashes that were survivable. Close to half of all airplane crash fatalities might have been prevented had passengers taken proper action.

While the odds of being involved in a plane crash may be slim, they're not zero. If it happened to you, would you know what to do to increase your chances of walking away? In today's post we're going to offer research-backed advice from Ben Sherwood's The Survivor's Club on what you can do to make it out of a plane crash alive.

You've Only Got 90 Seconds to Get Out

Understanding this is the key ingredient to surviving, and will frame all the other tips in this post. If you've survived the crash landing, you have a pretty good chance of getting out of the airplane alive. But, you only have 90 seconds to do so.

You see, the thing that kills most passengers in a plane crash isn't the actual impact, it's the fire that typically engulfs the plane afterwards. Folks may be surprised they survived the impact, and become complacent about other dangers. People vastly underestimate how quickly a fire can spread and consume an airplane. Surveys show that most people think they actually have about 30 minutes to get out of a burning plane. The reality is that it takes, on average, just 90 seconds for a fire to burn through the plane's aluminum fuselage and consume everything and everyone in it. If that sounds scary, it should; you need to be motivated to get your rear end out of the plane!

Be Fit

The FAA has rigorously studied and crunched the numbers on airplane crash survivors, as well as tested nearly 2,500 people in simulated evacuations to find out the type of person who typically survives. Their results?

Young, slender men have the best odds of surviving a plane crash. (Old, fat women have the worst odds - sorry Aunt Myrtle.)

The FAA has found that differences in age, gender, and girth account for 31% of the difference between people's evacuation times. Escaping a plane crash requires you to maneuver quickly through narrow aisles with luggage and wreckage strung about. You may even have to throw blockages out of your way. You then have to slip through an emergency exit that may only be twenty inches wide. Kind of hard to do if you're fat and out of shape.

Not only can being out of shape reduce your chances of survival, it could also put other people's lives at risk because they have to wait for you to exit safely. Hold-ups at the exit due to passengers having trouble deplaning has caused many unnecessary deaths. In a runway collision that occurred in 1991, investigators found the charred remains of 10 passengers lined up in the aisle waiting to leave the wing exit; folks who froze up and had trouble squeezing through the exit had created a fatal bottleneck.

If you're on the rotund side, make it a goal to shed some of that table muscle so you'll be fit enough to save your own life and perhaps the lives of others (and not just on a plane, either, but in all kinds of survival situations). We've got plenty of workouts on our site to choose from to get started. If you're looking for more practical and accessible exercise and diet tips, I highly recommend Nerd Fitness.

Fly in Bigger Planes if Possible

If you have the choice between flying in a puddle jumper or a 737, choose the 737. According to FAA investigations, larger planes have more energy absorption in a crash which means you're subjected to less deadly force, and that may equate to a better survival rate. This fact alone is why I try to fly on Southwest - whose fleet consists only of 737s - whenever possible. The carrier is also rated as the third safest in the world (their recent landing gear malfunction notwithstanding). ( Landing gear malfunctions aren't actually a big deal, by the way.) Also avoid regional carriers if possible - they have an accidents and incidents rate double that of national carriers and their pilots are often less experienced and overworked. Note that national airlines frequently use a regional carrier for some of the routes that fly under their name.

Remember the Five Row Rule

A few years ago, Popular Mechanics put out an article that analyzed every commercial plane crash in the U.S. and where survivors were sitting in each accident. The article's author concluded that in the event of a crash, the safest place to be sitting was in the back of the plane. After reading that article, I started to sit in the back of airplanes. Come to find out, Popular Mechanics' conclusion isn't well supported by expert research.

According to the folks who dedicate their lives to studying plane crashes, the statistics are inconclusive because every plane crash is different. Sure, many crashes are nose-first, thus making the back of the plane safer, but several are tail-first (as with the recent incident in San Francisco) or wing-first. You just don't know what kind of crash you'll be in. Instead of worrying about whether your seat is near the back, focus on finding a seat near an exit. According to researcher Ed Galea, those who survive a plane crash typically only have to move an average of five rows to escape. Beyond five rows the chance of getting out alive decreases.

The best seat to have is in the exit row as you'd be the first one out should you need to exit. If you can't snag that seat, go for the aisle. Not only do you have easier access to the lavatory during flight, you also have a 64% chance of survival compared to the 58% chance you'd have sitting in a window seat. Also avoid bulkhead rows. Sure, you have more leg room, but the walls don't "give" as much as seats when you collide with them in a crash.

Galea admits that there are exceptions to the Five Row Rule; he's found people that successfully moved 19 rows to get to an exit. Moreover, even if you're just two rows away from an exit, there's always the chance that the exit door will be blocked or jammed. Overall, though, your chances of survival will increase if you're within five rows of an exit.

Overcome the Normalcy Bias With an Action Plan

As we discussed in detail in our post on why we're hardwired for sheepdom, we're all naturally affected by the Normalcy Bias. The Normalcy Bias causes our brains to assume that things will be predictable and normal all the time. When things aren't normal, it takes our brain a long time to process this. Instead of springing to action when something unexpected happens, our brain kind of shrugs and figures that what is going on can't be so bad, because truly bad events are so out of the ordinary.

Investigators have discovered that normalcy bias has caused many unnecessary deaths in plane crashes. Instead of taking immediate action after a crash, people sort of mill around. Many will even start looking for their carry-on luggage before getting to the exit.

Normalcy bias manifested itself in dramatic fashion during a plane collision in 1977 that killed 583 people - the worst aircraft disaster in history. Two 747 jumbo jets collided with each other just above the runway on the small island of Tenerife (part of the Canary Islands off of Morocco). After the collision, one jet tumbled to the ground and exploded, killing all 248 passengers on board.

The other jet crash-landed, but didn't explode. The collision sheared away the top of the jet and flames began to take over the aircraft. Passengers who survived the initial collision could have escaped unharmed, but they had to act fast. Paul Heck, a passenger on the burning plane (who was 65, by the way), sprung to action. He unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed his wife's hand, and hightailed it to the nearest exit. They, along with 68 other passengers, survived, while 328 died.

In an interview after the disaster, Mr. Heck noted how most people just sat in their seats acting like everything was fine even after colliding with another plane and seeing the cabin fill with smoke. Researchers believe that passengers had a little over a minute to escape before being consumed by the flames, and are convinced that if more people had taken immediate action instead of remaining in their seats pretending like things were okay, the survival rate would have been much, much higher.

To overcome the normalcy bias, you need to have an action plan on what you're going to do in the event of an accident every single time you get on the plane. Know where the exits are. When you've spotted the nearest exit, count the number of rows between yourself and that row. Should it be nighttime, or the interior lights fail, you won't have to succumb to confusion because you'll know right where to go. Size up the passengers around you to see who could be potential roadblocks to your exit. If you're traveling with kids, talk to your wife about who will be responsible for which kid in the event of an accident. Mentally rehearse quickly springing to action as soon as the plane comes to a stop.

Another reason it's important to have an action plan is that there's a good chance you won't have too much assistance from the flight crew. One study found that 45 percent of the flight attendants in survivable crashes are incapacitated in some way. You need to be ready to take action without direction from anyone.

Read the Safety Card and Listen to the Flight Attendants

Another thing you can do to overcome the Normalcy Bias is to read through the safety card as well as listen to the flight attendants when they give their pre-flight safety spiel. Just because you've amassed enough frequent flier miles to circumnavigate the globe 1,000 times, you're definitely not off the hook. You may think you're justifiably confident, but you're probably complacent; in a report published a few years ago, the FAA found that frequent fliers were the least informed on what to do and most susceptible to the normalcy bias in the event of a plane crash.

Re-reading the safety card will remind you where the nearest exits are and what to do during a crash landing. As you read through the safety guidelines, formulate your action plan.

Remember the Plus 3/Minus 8 Rule

In the aviation world, Plus 3/Minus 8 refers to the first three minutes after takeoff and the last eight minutes before landing. According to flight crash investigators, close to 80% of all plane crashes occur during this timeframe (the events leading up to the recent Asiana plane crash happened during the last 8 minutes of descent). In between those times, the chances of a plane crash occurring drop dramatically. Thus, if you want to up your chances of survival, you need to be extra vigilant and ready to take action during the first 3 minutes after takeoff and the last 8 minutes before landing. Here are some suggestions from The Survivor's Club on what to do and not do during Plus 3/Minus 8:

Don't sleep.

Make sure your shoes are on and secured. If you're traveling with your wife or girlfriend, make sure she's wearing flats and not high heels. It's hard to run in stilettos.

Don't drink before getting on a plane. You want to be fully present in the event of a crash.

Make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened - low and tight.

Go over your action plan.

You don't need to be paranoid during this time, just vigilantly relaxed.

Put on Your Oxygen Mask as Soon as It Drops

Airplane cabins are pressurized so you can breathe normally at 30,000 feet. When a cabin loses pressure, there's so little air at high altitudes that getting oxygen to your bloodstream is next to impossible. That's where oxygen masks come in. They pump pure oxygen into your nose and mouth so that you can get the air you need.

In an event where the mask drops from above, put it on as soon as it drops. According to passenger studies, most folks think they can survive an hour without a mask after a plane loses pressure. You actually just have a few seconds. Just a few seconds of oxygen deprivation can cause mental impairment. If you want get out of a crashed airplane alive, you'll want all your mental faculties intact when it lands. Also, follow the safety guidelines of securing your mask first before helping others secure theirs. You're pretty much useless to others if you're not getting oxygen to your brain.

Assume Brace Position

I always thought the brace positions were kind of silly. There's no way that curling up in a ball would help you survive in a plane crash. But research has shown that brace positions do indeed up the chances of survival in an emergency crash landing. The positions help reduce the velocity of your head when it inevitably slams into the seat in front of you. Moreover, they help minimize limb flailing.

Also, make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened - low and tight - over your lap. Those bad boys are designed to withstand 3,000 pounds of force, which is about three times as much as your body could handle without passing out. You can trust 'em.

Forget Your Carry On Luggage, Remember the Kids

Alright. The plane has crash landed and you're still alive. Time to get to those exits as fast as you can. Remember, you only have 90 seconds.

Believe it or not, you need to be reminded to forget your carry-on luggage! It will slow you down and block others' escape, and it may injure you or someone else if you try to get down the very steep inflatable slides with it. You can get another iPad when you return safely to your home.

In your rush to get out of the plane, don't forget your kids. That actually happens. Your brain does stupid things in disasters. Keep reminding yourself, "I have kids. I have kids. I have kids." Ideally, you should have a plan with your wife and kids on who goes with who in case of an emergency exit.
Have any of you been involved in a plane crash? Did you notice normalcy bias take hold of passengers? What do you think helped you escape alive? Share with us in the comments!
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Source: The Survivor's Club by Ben Sherwood (Highly recommend picking this up. Crammed with useful information for the sheepdog-in-training.) Illustrations by Ted Slampyak

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How to Survive a Plane Crash: 10 Tips That Could Save Your Life | The Art of Manliness

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How to survive a plane crash -- 10 tips that could save your life. Learn what to do in the event of a crash landing.

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Lion Air flight JT 610 has crashed into the sea, with nearly 190 people on board, shortly after taking off from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

A lot of attention has focused on the fact the plane, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was brand new. This is the first major incident involving that kind of plane.

Details so far have been scant and the cause will not be confirmed until a full investigation has been carried out.

Plane crashes are often the result of a combination of factors - both technical and human - but could the fact that the plane was so new have played any part?

Passenger plane crashes in sea off Jakarta

How likely are you to survive a plane crash?

The world's worst air disasters

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 has only been in commercial use since 2017.

Budget carrier Lion Air said in July it was "very proud" to be the first in Indonesia to deploy the plane, and that it had ordered as many as 218 units.

The plane involved in Monday's incident has only been in operation since 15 August.

It had logged only 800 hours of flight time, according to the head of the National Transportation Safety Commission, Soerjanto Tjahjano.

The pilot is reported to have radioed air traffic control in Jakarta asking for permission to turn back, shortly after taking off.

Lion Air's chief executive said the flight had suffered from an unspecified "technical problem" in a previous flight, but that it had been "resolved according to procedure", Reuters reports.

Edward Sirait said Lion Air was currently operating 11 aircraft of the same model. He said there were no plans to ground the rest of the planes.

'Snags' sorted quickly

Aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman told the BBC that "very old aircraft are usually at the highest risk [of accidents], but very young aircraft also carry a high risk".

"If it's very new there are sometimes snags that only reveal themselves after they are [used routinely]. These usually get sorted [within] the first three months."

The plane would have hit the three month mark in just a few weeks.

However, another aviation analyst, Jon Ostrower, said new planes generally "enjoy a maintenance holiday because everything is so new, not the reverse".

Mr Ostrower, editor of aviation publication The Air Current, said there were "always new teething issues... that's common, but a far cry from something that would threaten the safety of an airplane".

Both analysts said it's too early to draw definitive conclusions about what went wrong with Flight JT 610.

"It's likely to be technical issues that caused it but it's still very early days. We can really [only determine the cause] when we get more information," said Mr Soejatman.

Mr Ostrower echoed this.

"I don't know what would make a plane this new crash. There are so many different factors that can contribute to an accident like this," he told the BBC.

According to Boeing, the 737 MAX series is the fastest-selling airplane in its history, and has accumulated almost 4,700 orders.

The MAX 8 has been ordered by airlines including American Airlines, United Airlines, Norwegian and FlyDubai.

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Lion Air flight JT 610 has crashed into the sea, with nearly 190 people on board, shortly after taking off from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. A lot of attention has focused on the fact the plane, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was brand new. This is the first major incident involving that kind of plane.

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How can airlines prevent crashes like this in the future?

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The Germanwings disaster has raised questions about how pilots are evaluated and the procedures that govern the security of airplane cockpit doors.

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The Role of Cabin Crew in Aircraft Safety Procedures - AviationKnowledge

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These days, the air travel is now accessible to the public, including all age groups and all social levels. In this case, in terms of medical aspects, it is necessary for the crew members to have first aid skills, basic medical training is becoming essential for them.

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Plane travel is incredibly safe-your odds of dying on a commercial flight are about one in 11 million -but accidents still happen and travelers sometimes make it to a different kind of final destination. Many past fatalities may, however, have been avoidable. Here's the safety info you should be up on in case you go down.

Before we get too far into this, you should know that no two airplane accidents are the same and incidents can vary wildly. There is no consistent way to avoid a plane crash, and no methods that guarantee survival. For example, a plane that nose-dives into the ground before bursting into a ball of flame isn't a survivable incident no matter what you do. That said, most accidents are not like that. Even if your flight has an incident, the National Transportation Safety Board estimates there's a 95% chance of survival. As John Hansman, director of the International Center for Air Transportation, puts it, "Riding on a commercial airplane has got about the same amount of risk as riding on an escalator."

Sit in the Back of the Plane

Location, location, location. Where you choose to sit may greatly affect your odds of survival in a plane crash, depending on the incident. A few years ago, TIME magazine scoured Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aircraft Accident Database statistics and seating charts to look for trends over the course of 35 years. Here's what they found:

Seats in the rear third of the aircraft had a 32% fatality rate.

Seats in the middle third had a 39% fatality rate.

Seats in the front third had a 38% fatality rate.

This suggests the safest part of the plane to sit is the rear third of the aircraft. Basic economy, baby. Moreover, the middle seats in that back third of the aircraft had the lowest fatality rate of all seats at 28%. Hope you like sharing armrests. The seats with the highest fatality rate were aisle seats in the middle third of the cabin at 44%. Popular Mechanics performed a similar study in 2007 with similar findings. Their analysis suggests that passengers sitting behind the wing of the aircraft had a 40% greater chance of surviving than the passengers in the front of the plane.

The numbers regarding whether you should sit in the aisle, middle, or window seat aren't exactly consistent, however. A separate study from University of Greenwich found that aisle seats actually provided a marginally higher chance of survival, so it's honestly a bit of a crap shoot in that regard. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, it all depends on the incident itself. There are plenty of examples out there, like United Airlines Flight 232, where the front of the plane was safer, they're just fewer in number. Wherever you choose to sit, just make it a seat on a big plane. Larger commercial planes have a larger number of redundant systems, have a lower accident rate, and can absorb more force during impact.

Remember the "Five Row Rule"

A majority of plane crash fatalities occur because passengers are unable to exit the plane in time after an emergency landing. To give yourself a better shot of getting out in time, always consider what Professor Ed Galea of the University of Greenwich calls the "Five Row Rule." After studying 105 plane crashes and interviewing over 2,000 surviving passengers and crew members, Galea found that survivors move an average of five rows before escaping safely.

Always pick a seat within five rows of an emergency exit. If you can, grab a seat right next to an exit, or one just a single row away. Galea says sitting more than five rows away from an exit means "the chances of perishing far outweigh those of surviving." It's no guarantee, of course, but the logic is sound. The further you have to travel inside a burning plane, the lower your chances of actually making it out. Regardless of where you sit, Cheryl Schwartz, a retired flight attendant for United Airlines, highly recommends you count how many rows you are away from the nearest emergency exit, no matter how familiar you think you are with the aircraft. Double check if you have to. That way, if the cabin fills with smoke and your visibility is impaired, you can still find your way out.

Dress Appropriately

As I mentioned before, the impact itself isn't what causes most fatalities in plane accidents. According to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA, 68% of occupants involved in aircraft accidents die from post-crash fires-either from burn injuries or smoke inhalation. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) had similar findings. They estimated that 90% of aircraft accidents are survivable, and that at least 40% of the fatalities in past accidents were actually survivable. A large portion of those instances were fire-related.

To limit your time on board a burning aircraft, and to avoid severe burns, Cynthia Corbett, a human factors specialist at the Federal Aviation Administration's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, suggests you should dress like you need to run away from a burning plane:

"If you have to do that, how well are your flip-flops going to perform? How well are your high-heeled shoes going to perform? When you're sliding down that fabric slide out of the plane, are pantyhose going to withstand? Shorts and skirts and high-heeled shoes just are not our preferred attire for flying, because it's hard to run in those kinds of shoes and actually escape when you're not clothed properly. We like to see tie-on shoes that you're not going to run out of and long pants. Jeans are good. I know in the summer that's really tough, but short-shorts are just real dangerous in that event..."

It's a good idea to have a long-sleeved t-shirt or jacket as well. Make sure your clothing is made out of 100% cotton or wool so they won't melt. Do not wear synthetic fabrics. Sorry, I know they're comfy. And it doesn't hurt to pack a handkerchief in your jacket pocket just in case you need something to cover your face. You can wet it with the water they hand out and create a temporary breathing mask.

Listen to Flight Attendants and Read the Safety Card

I know, it's a drag, and you've heard it a billion times, but it's a good idea to listen to that speech the flight attendants give before takeoff. I get that you know how to put on a seat belt-I mean, you know how to read this right now so you must have the intelligence required to understand basic seat belt mechanisms-but flight attendants are still giving you valuable information. They show you where exits are, demonstrate how to use flotation vests and oxygen masks (which you definitely need to know how to do quickly), and the safety card will have evacuation routes on them that you should absolutely be aware of.

But you know all that stuff, right? You've flown so many times you could repeat it all by memory! I doubt it. According to a report from the FAA, frequent fliers proved to be the least informed and most complacent of all passengers. Listen to the speech or video, look at the safety card, and develop a plan for yourself and loved ones so you can spring into action the moment something happens. You won't have time to make a plan later.

Follow the "Plus Three, Minus Eight Rule"

It's true that most plane accidents occur during takeoff or landing, and there's a time window for when these incidents most commonly take place: sometime during the three minutes after takeoff; and sometime during the eight minutes before landing. In The Survivor's Club, author Ben Sherwood explains that 80% of all plane crashes actually happen during this time.

To increase your odds of survival during one of those incidents, you should pay attention be vigilant during those times. That means no sleeping, no listening to music, no taking off your shoes, no being sloppy drunk or drugged out, and no unbuckling your seat belt during that time window. Stay aware and be ready to execute your plan of action.

Know How to Brace for Impact

So it's happening; you're going down and the flight crew has warned you to brace for impact. What do you do? If you have time, Corbett suggests you remove sharp objects from your pockets (like pens, pencils, and keys), and stuff your carry-on belongings under the seat in front of you. This keeps the area clear for you and other passengers to walk after the impact, but it also pads the legs and blocks them from going under the seat in front of you. You'll reduce the likelihood of breaking your legs and hindering your escape.

Once you've prepared, it's time to assume the position. First, put on your seat belt. Then, how you brace depends on where you are seated:

If you have a seat in front of you: Cross your hands on the seat in front of and rest your forehead on top your hands. This will help reduce whiplash and head injuries.

If you don't have a seat in front of you: Bend over as far as possible, grab your legs around your knees, and keep your head down until you feel the plane stop. Place your hands on the back of your head, dominant hand first.

If you're unsure about your seat, review your safety card before takeoff. It will have the instructions you need to know for your specific aircraft. And make sure your seat belt is on tight. The more slack you have in your seat belt the more G-force your body will experience during impact.

Be Ready to Get Out of the Plane Super Fast

Okay, you've survived the impact of the crash landing and people are yelling and scrambling about. Don't sit around in a daze. Schwartz says there's a phenomenon where people sit around surprised they survived the crash, then wait for rescue:

"Most crashes are survivable. Yet, with survivable crashes, crash scene investigators find passengers without a scratch on them still belted in their seats, dead."

Get out! Fire and smoke are almost certainly coming. As Sherwood explains in The Survivor's Club, you have about 90 seconds to escape the cabin before the fire burns through the plane's aluminum fuselage and gets to you. Ideally, you've got your capable shoes on, clothes that won't melt into your skin, and you wet a handkerchief before the impact so you have something to breathe through. Now you need to follow your designated evacuation route. If you sat near an exit as planned, that's good. If you didn't, hopefully you've been hitting the gym. The FAA notes that fit young people tend to make it out alive more often than older, more heavy-set folks (evacuation times can differ up to 31%).

Why? You need to move quickly, slide through narrow aisles, clear wreckage and luggage strewn about, and possibly have to physically move blockage. Climbing seats to reach an exit isn't ideal, as it can create more congestion at exits, but if it's your only way out, take it. Once you're out, get away from the wreckage as fast as possible. You don't want to survive impact then manage to escape, only to be killed by shrapnel with the plane decides to explode. Now, take a deep breath, and thank your lucky stars you knew what to do.

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Plane travel is incredibly safe-your odds of dying on a commercial flight are about one in 11 million-but accidents still happen and travelers sometimes make it to a different kind of final destination. Many past fatalities may, however, have been avoidable. Here's the safety info you should be up on in case you go down.