Why are there floatation devices under the seat of an airplane but not a parachute?

Question

Why are there floatation devices under the seat of an airplane but not a parachute?

Answer 1

First off, the vast majority of accidents happen at take off or landing, where a parachute is useless. there is not enough altitude or time to use a parachute.

Take it from someone that jumps out of planes for fun. There is not enough room to put on a parachute in a commercial plane. Everyone would have to wear the rigs before getting on the aircraft. Even if everyone had a parachute there is no safe way to exit the aircraft. You would need special equipment and training to survive the 560 + mph winds and 30,000 foot plus altitudes. Without extra oxygen and protective gear you would die in that environment. The fastest skydiving jumps are at 150 knots, not 500 + knots and are made from 18,000 feet MSL or lower. Just getting out of the airplane could kill you as you'd be slammed into the door on exit.  Further, the location of the wing and the engines with respect to the location of the doors would make it nearly impossible to exit the aircraft without hitting the wings, stabilizer or the engine.  The next issue would be landing a parachute. Most likely this case would use rounds and you'd just have to do a parachute landing fall. That is easy enough to learn. The steering of the canopy would require training. I'd say that about 25% of the people on any flight are not healthy enough to survive a normal skydive. The very young, old, and anyone not in good health would have no chance at surviving the exit, parachute flight or landing.

As a skydiver we know that at some point we will have to exit our aircraft during an aircraft emergency, it doesn’t happen very often, almost never, but it does.  But here is the catch, you need time and altitude to open up the parachute.  We wear seat belts in the plane for taxi, take off, and if needed landing.  If there is a problem with the aircraft under 1000 feet above the ground you go down with the plane.  In a commercial flight you will climb past 1000 feet very quickly but there will not be enough time to put on a parachute system, nor enough time to get everyone out of the plane.  The vast majority of the very rare commercial accidents happen right after take off or on landing…. A parachute would be useless.

For more information about traveling with a parachute you can check out www.uspa.org and there is a link to the TSA rules about traveling with rigs.

In the big picture. commercial airline flights are very safe and not something to worry about.  I travel for a living.  Taking two or more flights a week across the US.  I hate landing in planes because I’d rather be jumping out and landing my parachute, but it is impossible to do that safely from a commercial aircraft; never mind the less than legal part of it.

As for flotation devises, I don’t know about you, but when I get into water all I do is prolong my drowning.  I’m very glad there is something there to help me float if needed.  The parachutes are pointless, the flotation device, might of might not be useful, but I like having the piece of mind.  Perhaps having a parachute on the plane would give piece of mind, even if it couldn’t be used.

Answer 2

I could just see it know........150 screaming passengers trying to put on their parachutes and in the long run you would have more deaths and it was just due to turbulence.......

Answer 3

Many valid points so far. Here's another: You couldn't open a door on a commercial liner if you tried. The difference in pressure between the cabin and the outside would prevent even the strongest of passengers working together to open the door in flight.

Answer 4

In commercial aviation, you can count on three fingers the number of catastrophic accidents where the occupants had more than a few seconds notice.

And if you've ever actually been on a plane, you can imagine how much time it would take to suit everybody up & shove 'em out the door.  

So the situations where a parachute would be useful are almost non-existent in commercial aviation.

There's never in the history of commercial aviation been a fatality caused by the failures of all the engines on a multi-engine aircraft...that pretty much leaves, what, landing gear malfunction?  

So much safer to just land the plane without wheels -- it's been done over and over with nary an injury.

But, at some point, you might have to stage an emergency landing on the water, and you might even survive it.

At that point, you are passengers in a watercraft, and USCG regs require a PFD for every person on board.

Just kiddin, the floatation device will facilitate your survival after the emergency landing.

Answer 5

Any moron can use a flotation device.  It takes training to use a parachute.  If you are so concerned then buy a parachute and have it as a carry-on

Answer 6

dunno maby they should store some rations and soda in case your not found for a day. You kids think to much you need something to do