Comments on: The Safest Seats on the Plane http://www.joeydevilla.com/2007/07/23/the-safest-seats-on-the-plane/ Joey deVilla's Personal Blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:31:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Allison http://www.joeydevilla.com/2007/07/23/the-safest-seats-on-the-plane/comment-page-1/#comment-9518 Allison Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:24:30 +0000 http://www.joeydevilla.com/2007/07/23/the-safest-seats-on-the-plane/#comment-9518 I'll have to throw out a few of these statistics to my random seat neighbors next time I fly. I’ll have to throw out a few of these statistics to my random seat neighbors next time I fly.

]]> By: Sean http://www.joeydevilla.com/2007/07/23/the-safest-seats-on-the-plane/comment-page-1/#comment-9517 Sean Tue, 24 Jul 2007 02:24:31 +0000 http://www.joeydevilla.com/2007/07/23/the-safest-seats-on-the-plane/#comment-9517 How many fatal jet crashes in the last "five-plus" years? I'd have to peg that at one-plus. It all depends on how big the plus is, no? How many fatal jet crashes in the last “five-plus” years? I’d have to peg that at one-plus. It all depends on how big the plus is, no?

]]> By: Chris Taylor http://www.joeydevilla.com/2007/07/23/the-safest-seats-on-the-plane/comment-page-1/#comment-9516 Chris Taylor Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:09:14 +0000 http://www.joeydevilla.com/2007/07/23/the-safest-seats-on-the-plane/#comment-9516 The article is a little disingenuous, because restricting the data set to the "fatalities + survivors" ensures that the crashes are solely low-speed, low-altitude crashes that occur exclusively in the takeoff/landing phase of flight. Fuselage fractures are not at all uncommon in these types of accidents, and when the fuselage separates, yes, the ass end that DOESN'T smack into something hard (or smacks into it at a lower velocity) is the end that is safer to be in. That's not exactly groundbreaking information. What would make the study <i>truly</i> useful is knowing the ratio of low-speed, low-altitude fatal accidents compared to all fatal flight accidents. If it's a tiny subset of all fatal accidents, then there really is no point in making sure you sit in the back. The article is a little disingenuous, because restricting the data set to the “fatalities + survivors” ensures that the crashes are solely low-speed, low-altitude crashes that occur exclusively in the takeoff/landing phase of flight. Fuselage fractures are not at all uncommon in these types of accidents, and when the fuselage separates, yes, the ass end that DOESN’T smack into something hard (or smacks into it at a lower velocity) is the end that is safer to be in. That’s not exactly groundbreaking information.

What would make the study truly useful is knowing the ratio of low-speed, low-altitude fatal accidents compared to all fatal flight accidents. If it’s a tiny subset of all fatal accidents, then there really is no point in making sure you sit in the back.

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