The miracle in seat 11A: The safest spots to sit on a plane

Dubai: Following the recent tragedy of the Air India flight AI-171 headed towards London, many questions regarding airplane safety have come up.

Out of the 242 on board, only one man, Ramesh Vishwaskumar Bucharvada, was able to survive the crash. It quickly became known that this passenger’s seat was probably 11A, leading to speculations on whether his close proximity to an emergency exit may have allowed him to escape.

But does where you sit on a plane matter, and are some seats safer than others? Here’s what you need to know.

Although the nature of each respective emergency affects the survival possibility, previous data and statistics allow researchers to make an educated guess on plane safety.

An earlier analysis by Time Magazine of Federal Aviation Administration data found that the back third of an aircraft had a 32% fatality rate, lower than both the middle and front which had fatality rates of 39% and 38% respectively.

This makes the back end of a plane safer. However, depending on the type of impact the plane endures, the rear end of a plane is at times in risk of separating from the front.

They also mentioned a previous study that looked into emergency exit usage following an accident. It stated that survivors near exits may have a higher chance of survival.

Emergency exit row seats are the ones situated right in front of the exit doors of a plane. They are often preferred by passengers, especially on long-haul flights, due to the abundance of legroom and free space available in these seats. In fact, many airlines often charge customers extra fees to book these seats.

However, when seated in this row passengers also become accountable to aid the crew in the event of an emergency. A primary responsibility is to operate the exit door in case of emergencies. Due to this liability, airlines have special guidelines in place that determines who is eligible to sit in this row of seats.

One key requirement is to be able-bodied. Individuals must have the physical strength needed to use and open emergency doors, while also assisting other passengers to exit.

While some airlines may add additional rules specific to their airline, these guidelines generally follow a similar pattern. Here’s some of the eligibility criteria Air India has provided on their website for the exit row seats.