Aircraft wing seats question

Question

I was watching a show on Nat. Geographic called Seconds from Disaster and it showed how a Boeing 737 crashed. Some guy in the show stated that the wing part of the plane is the strongest. People sitting in those seats were more likely to survive a crash. Is this true? If so can you tell me more about the mid section of the fuselage.

Answer 1

Airplanes can crash in every single imaginable way except by backing up into something. And they'll crash into anything too. Anything from water, mountains, flat ground, building, birds, other airplanes, UFOs (has not happened yet) etc. So, those who actually know anything about this, there isn't a safer seat anywhere except in the terminal.

The wingbox is the strongest part of the airplane. Most wingboxes are made of honeycombed composites and all kinds of light, but very strong materials. There's spars, crossbars, wing roots, etc, all holding and binding that part to the rest of the aircraft. After all, the winbox is what the wings connect to and the wings are what lifts the aircraft, so the makers can't have that part breaking away for anything. This is does not mean it is the safest part however. If the aircraft stalled and fell straight into the ground, the strength of the wingbox wouldn't do you much good. However, if it were a controlled crash-landing, that wingbox may just save your life.

In past crashes, survivors, if any at all, have been sitting in the tail. However, again,  for a head-on impact or a crash landing, sitting in the tail would be good, but if the airplane is ditching in the water, a maneuver which requires the tail to settle first, you're screwed if you were in the tail because that part would break off first and the rushing water would pin you to your seat until the tail is fully submerged at which point you're drowning already. Even on land, if the pilot screws up and the tail hits the ground first and breaks away, you'll probably be buried alive because the tail would dig into the ground. (Did I mention the jagged pieces of aluminum and red hot wires will be smashing into you too?)

Collatery, the front is good for a ditching in the water but if the plane is crashing into land or a mountainside, you're going to be vaporized or cut down by flying debris.

So essentially, just pick a place on or aft of the wingbox and let fate decide how and into what your plane is going to be crashing in. This may sound very grim, but airliners  don't crash fatally anymore these days thanks to the past crashes and experience the industry has learned lots.

One thing that would have saved many many lives is to make all seats face aft, or towards the back of the airplane. Indeed, this is why the USAF was the safest airline for a long time. When facing aft, and knowing a plane can't back up into anything in the air, you're protected against flying debris, and your body and the seat, can absorb much more Gs of deceleration. Just that alone, could've saved countless lives in nearly every single aviation crash.

However, no passenger airline would do it because the passengers would have complained like crazy. Air sickness may also be more pronounced. (Sure beats the h**l out of dying, in my opinion though)

Answer 2

While there is some truth to the wing section being stronger, it really depends more on the crash to how you will survive.  Such as if the plane hits on the wing first then it will more than likely tear that section apart.  A tail first crash may have a better chance in that section.  A flat spin from a high altitude with not matter because the force will be so great from impact and will be almost equal over the whole aircraft.  The main factor in living though a crash is how the force is absorbed and where.  The distribution of force is the key to almost any crash.  

Answer 3

It depends.

It's the strongest section, because of all the frames, spar, intercostals, etc.

BUT, it's also where the main fuel tanks are.

Years ago, the wing area was where they located the "black boxes" (flight recorders). But, after burning up a few in a pool of flaming aviation fuel, they moved them to the rear of the plane (ever hear of a plane backing into a mountain at 300 mph?)

Answer 4

There isn't any part of the aircraft that is significantly safer or more dangerous than any other part.  The circumstances of crashes are far too variable to be able to point to any part of the airplane as safe.

The wing is the foundation of the airplane, and it's the strongest part of the airplane. The rest of the airplane is built around the wing.  However, that doesn't mean that seats near the wing are safer than other seats.

People who die at the instant of impact are usually killed by flying debris or by being thrown into things themselves.  All seats are anchored in the same way, so they are all just as likely or unlikely to be involved in this type of movement.  Those who survive the impact are at risk from fire, which is why evacuation is so important after impact. Being close to or away from the wing doesn't necessarily make much difference for evacuation, if it is conducted properly. And again, the circumstances of a crash are so highly variable that there isn't any reliable way to point to particular seats as being better or worse.

Answer 5

There was a flight safety book written some years ago: 'It doesn't matter where you sit.' Written by an AL pilot. Search.

Fly the majors if you have a choice, and fly between holidays. In the busy season they rehire furloughed crew. The small RJ and CRJ are crewed by relative low timers. Amer AL had a female pilot doing the RJ preflight, and she had a strange headgear. It was not the usual 'bus driver' hat; it was a turban simulating a head wrap. She did the takeoff, a rather rough performance. Good luck.

Answer 6

it really does depend, some crashes you might not survive at all, but the majority of survivors sit at the rear of the plane, i wouldn't worry yourself about a plane crashing, it rarely happens, just sit wherever, if it helps im flying arould the world in january and i have specifically requested all my seats in the rear of the plane because i think that thats the safest bit. it is true that the mid section is the strongest because it has to support the wings but this doesnt nessearly mean its the safest... there is apparently no such safe part of a plane, if it plummets into the ocean at 500 mph then no one will survive. take a look at this years crash records, you'll see that all the fatal accidents didn't occur with any large airline companies. fly safe and have fun!

Answer 7

Its stronger because you have the spars that hold the two wings in position and attaching it to the fuselage. It really depends on the nature of the crash if you survive or not.