Air Travel

Which Plane Seats Are Safest?

When choosing your plane seat, there are a number of things you might consider. Do I want a window or the aisle? Should I pay more for extra legroom? Most people don’t want to think about the possibility of a crash, but if you were unfortunate enough to be involved in one, which seat is safest?

Looking at reports from the National Transportation Safety Board, Popular Mechanics came to the conclusion that booking a place in the rear cabin offers the highest rate of survival. Of the 20 crashes (each of which involved both fatalities and survivors) they investigated, those sitting in the back had a 69 percent chance of staying alive, compared to a less favorable 49 percent in business class.

Description

This chart shows survival rates in commercial jet crashes, by seat position.

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Plane crashes - jet hull loss rate by region 2021

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