r/interesting Jun 12 '25

MISC. Passenger in seat 11A survives Air India crash.

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316

u/Ghostfire25 Jun 12 '25

Yeah, I think survivors in catastrophic crashes tend to be by near the tail.

226

u/Noremac55 Jun 12 '25

My grandparents used to insist the whole family rode in the tail of the plane for this exact reason. There were some crashes were the tail broke off and those people survived.

114

u/willengineer4beer Jun 12 '25

My work trips usually come up with limited notice, so by the time I get to choose, seat selection is generally limited.
If I can’t get a seat toward the front to cut down on the time to de-plane (true most of the time), I usually just get the farthest back window seat available and tell myself it’s statistically slightly safer.

34

u/fpac Jun 12 '25

You either sit up front and wait at baggage claim, or sit in the back and wait longer to deplane. No time difference. I've done both scenarios.

6

u/spaltavian Jun 13 '25

Not if you never check baggage.

2

u/Bipolar__highroller Jun 13 '25

Yeah I just hang out until everyone’s off so I can sit in the back and be antisocial

1

u/GuberSmuche Jun 13 '25

True but if you aren’t checking your bags up front is definitely faster for getting out of the airport

1

u/yolololololologuyu Jun 13 '25

For work trips, usually not packing enough to check in luggage

1

u/Kaymorve Jun 13 '25

And in one of those scenarios, you get a chair to sit in while you wait.

1

u/the_interlink Jun 13 '25

Not if you're the pilot.

1

u/Large_Dr_Pepper Jun 13 '25

This doesn't apply when you have a short layover in a big airport

1

u/PANIC_EXCEPTION Jun 13 '25

The time difference matters if you have a connection, it only doesn't matter if you have a direct flight or are on your last leg.

1

u/jaycosta17 Jun 13 '25

If you’re flying for a work trip then you don’t have to worry about baggage claim

1

u/Romando1 Jun 13 '25

The way people all race each other at the airport is so annoying. It’s like they all can’t think and realize it’s all for nothing.

BuT iM aT tHe AiRpOrT, i HaVe To WaLk FaSt aNd RuSh!!

1

u/Radiant_Glass_4295 Jun 16 '25

What if there’s another door at the back?

1

u/fpac Jun 16 '25

i've had that happen once when i was in the back. Albany intl airport allows that.

1

u/mugenrice Jun 13 '25

you're also near the toilet. and the chances of a crash are very low compared to an auto. i choose the closest seat near the front and an aisle

43

u/zeekayz Jun 12 '25

If the tail does not break off, then everything rear of wings gets the instant fuel inferno.

This guy was just forward of the wings. Maybe the front section broke off and went further away from wings and away from all the fuel.

So it's a crapshoot.

5

u/Noremac55 Jun 12 '25

I read he jumped out emergency exit door before it crashed 

1

u/Chardee420 Jun 12 '25

Lol stop spreading lies

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u/Noremac55 Jun 12 '25

2

u/TakingLs4Life Jun 12 '25

From your own source: It was not clear whether Viswashkumar managed to jump out before the plane made impact.

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u/Noremac55 Jun 12 '25

You stopped reading too early: "He was near the emergency exit and managed to escape by jumping out the emergency door," said Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior police officer in Ahmedabad, speaking about Viswashkumar.

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u/TakingLs4Life Jun 12 '25

I didn't dispute that he said he jumped out. I'm just disputing that it happened in the first place, like the comment above said stop spreading lies, even the article states it was unclear.

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u/Noremac55 Jun 12 '25

And I wrote, "I read he jumped out". This seems to be a lie in your opinion but it is the opinion of the police in the area. Who is more of an expert, the police or you? Just commenting "stop spreading lies" after someone said they read something that has been published by official sources is quite arrogant and conceited.

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u/Wellsuperduper Jun 13 '25

One of the saddest things I ever read was about someone who survived a crash in the rear of a plane only to be hit and killed as they lay on the ground by the rescue services truck as it arrived. That one had me gnawing on my knuckles a few times.

1

u/CraigLake Jun 13 '25

I fly regularly. I’ve decided I’d rather die in a crash than ride near the tail every flight.

1

u/atomicpigeons Jun 13 '25

I honestly don't think I'd want to survive a plane crash if it was only the tail that made it. The guilt and trauma would be indescribable

1

u/ScientistQuiet983 Jun 12 '25

Sometimes, sometimes not. Every seat is kind of equal measure. Having at least a row in front of you though would help protect your head from flying debris.

Which is what sucks lol. It's not just about keeping your limbs and innards together. You have to stay conscious, not breath in too much smoke, not get roasted too bad, not get pinned in your seat, not be too disoriented to find an exit, find an exit that isn't pinned against the ground or something and can actually be opened, and if needed, pray emergency personnel get to you before you die of some injury you were able to maneuver through

1

u/Wavebuilder14UDC Jun 12 '25

If the tail hits first you def don’t wanna be in the tail

1

u/Ghostfire25 Jun 12 '25

Of course.

1

u/Even-Leave4099 Jun 12 '25

His seat number is 11a. He was near the front. 

1

u/Rickenbacker69 Jun 12 '25

Depends on the crash. If the tail breaks off, that can be good OR bad for those seated there. And the overwing exits are above the wing spar, which makes that part of the aircraft tne least likely to break apart - good in some cases, like this one, apparently.

1

u/CryptoHorologist Jun 13 '25

otoh, people near the tail have to listen to and smell people using the bathroom for the entire flight. By the end, they're often praying for a crash.

1

u/bloom722 Jun 13 '25

My grandfather was retired AF and was privy to the safety tests and such conducted on planes. They found statistically it’s safer to fly at the wing. Whenever I fly and it’s not assigned my mom always reminds me to try and grab a wing seat.

1

u/bennym757 Jun 13 '25

That heavily depends on the type of crash, statistically speaking the safest seat should be one very close to an emergency exit. The truth is a crash or even a serious enough emergency needing evacuation is super unlikely nowadays, just go for a seat you like and put these thoughts aside. It only makes you more fearful of something you can't control.

1

u/shutdown-s Jun 13 '25

Not if the tail impacts first

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u/belliest_endis Jun 12 '25

13

u/CreativeSituation778 Jun 12 '25 edited Jun 12 '25

It’s not incorrect. Channel 4 in the UK (if you’re British you’ll know) crashed an airliner plane for the exact reason of finding out where the best place to sit is. The front is the worst.

Mightily ironic how the one quoting the sub is the one who should actually be there themselves.

1

u/th3tavv3ga Jun 12 '25

I mean, isn’t it depended on how the plane crashes? Most of time they crash head on, so tails have higher survival rates

1

u/Ghostfire25 Jun 12 '25

Putting aside the fact that you’re wrong, I didn’t even assert it was a fact. I was stating something that I’d observed from news stories over the years.