While we all hope for the best when flying, we need to prepare for the worst. These tips on how to survive a plane crash could make all the difference.
How to Survive a Plane Crash, According to Science
Updated on Jun. 30, 2025
Pay attention to the safety demonstration
It may be tempting to put on headphones before a plane takes off, but Bubb says that it’s important to pay attention to the flight attendants when they do their briefing as the aircraft is pushing back from the gate. Also, be sure to take the time to review the aircraft safety card so you know how many exit doors are on the plane and where to locate them.
Rimmer agrees: “The best time to prepare for an accident or in-flight emergency is before it happens, not while it’s underway.
Consider booking a middle seat—maybe
Though it depends on the severity of the crash, Bubb says that “the middle seat is the best, but it’s not necessarily guaranteed to be the safest by a significant margin.” For instance, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh—the survivor of the recent Air India crash—was sitting in seat 11A, which is a window seat. Twenty-seven years prior, Thai singer and actor James Ruangsak Loychusak was also seated in 11A when he walked away from a Thai Airways crash that left 101 people dead.
While there has since been speculation that seat 11A is the safest spot on a plane, experts have pointed out that aircraft vary in configuration, and there are a range of other factors that determine survival in a crash.”There is no miracle seat,” Rimmer says. “Each accident is different.”
Opt for the back of the plane or an exit row
As far as the safest part of the plane to sit in, there are two contenders. The first is the rear of the aircraft, “because during a crash, the front acts as a shock absorber,” Bubb says.
Rimmer also highlights this spot. “History seems to show that sitting in the rear of the airplane increases your odds of survival,” he says, “but it all depends on the nature of the accident and whether the emergency exits near you are safe to use.”
The emergency exit row is another contender. In fact, when Rimmer travels, he prefers sitting near an emergency exit over the wing. Not only does he think that it’s a more comfortable ride in the event of turbulence, but he says there are better odds of making a quick exit. As it so happens, Ramesh’s 11A seat on the Air India flight was in an emergency exit row.
Dress appropriately
Flying isn’t the time to make a fashion statement. Wear nonflammable, loose-fitting clothing, Bubb says. He also recommends wearing “clothing that will keep you warm in case you have to ditch a plane, even if it is summertime.” If the crash occurred on elevated terrain, the temperature could get cold at night, he explains.
According to the FAA, wearing “sensible clothing” can reduce your chances of serious injury in the event of an emergency. This means opting for clothing made out of natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, denim or leather, and avoiding synthetics, which may melt when heated. The agency also recommends covering as much skin as possible.
Wear the right type of shoes
In addition to your clothing, be deliberate about the shoes you choose to wear when you fly. “The best shoes to wear are durable, close-toed shoes,” Bubb says. “Try to avoid open-toed shoes like flip-flops.” The FAA recommends wearing low-heeled leather or canvas shoes. After all, the idea is to get off the plane as quickly and efficiently as possible.
You’ll also want to avoid high heels for another reason, say flight attendants: They can puncture the emergency slide. You might even be required to take off your shoes in this scenario.
Bring a car seat for young children
If your child is small enough to fit in a car seat, Bubb recommends bringing one for them to sit in on the plane. “If they are too big,” he says, “the best thing is to make sure they are wearing their seat belt at all times.”
Also, avoid any temptation to misrepresent your child’s age so they can fly on your lap, Rimmer says. Technically, children under the age of 2 are permitted to travel on the lap of another passenger, but the FAA strongly discourages this, urging parents to buy a seat for their child and use an approved car seat. “[Your child’s] safety is more important than saving a few bucks,” Rimmer adds.
In 2007, a 3-year-old girl in a car seat was the sole survivor of a small plane crash in Canada; the other two passengers died. Twenty years earlier, a 4-year-old girl was the lone survivor of a plane crash that killed 154 people on board and two on the ground near Detroit Metropolitan Airport. In both cases, it wasn’t determined whether the car seat alone is what saved the girls’ lives, but it certainly seems to have provided at least some essential protection. Plus, even if you don’t experience a full-on crash, car seats can keep children safe during turbulence, something that happens with much more regularity.
Follow directions
If anything were to go wrong on a flight, the flight attendants will let passengers know and tell them what to do. Keep in mind that even though you may be panicking, the members of the cabin crew have received special training for a variety of scenarios, including plane crashes, and will guide you through the situation as safely as possible. According to Rimmer, it’s important to “follow the directions of the trained crews and leave your belongings behind.” Listening to their directions can mean finding out how to survive a plane crash.
Brace for impact
In the event of a crash, the cabin crew on your flight will provide instructions about how to sit and brace for impact. “The best position to brace for a plane crash is to tuck your head down, and place your arms or hands on your head to protect it and your neck,” Bubb says. Flight attendants usually do not include this in their safety demonstration to avoid alarming passengers, he adds, but instructions are printed on aircraft safety cards. “However, should an emergency occur where passengers will need to brace for impact,” Bubb says, “the flight attendants will be very clear in giving instructions on what to do and how to do it.”
According to the FAA, there are two main reasons for bracing for impact: to reduce flailing (which refers to someone who is freaking out and not properly bracing for impact) and secondary impact (which refers to when a plane comes in contact with the ground subsequent times while coming to a stop). “Depending on how the aircraft impacts the ground, the inertia might cause a passenger to impact the back of the seat in front of them—similar to the way inertia in an automobile crash causes occupants to lurch forward,” Bubb says. The correct bracing position can protect your head, neck and more in a situation like this.
Protect yourself from the smoke
Some plane crashes produce a lot of smoke, and inhaling it can make you sick. “The best way to protect yourself from inhaling smoke is to tear a piece of cloth to create a mask,” Bubb says. “Stay low to the floor because smoke tends to rise. Listen to flight attendants’ instructions.” Between 1986 and 1991, about 16% of all U.S. transport aircraft accidents involved fire, and 22% of the deaths in these accidents resulted from fire or smoke toxicity, according to an FAA report from 1995, which provides the most recent statistics available.
When passengers must quickly evacuate a plane, there is a lot happening at once, which can be disorienting for passengers—especially if the cabin is filled with smoke. “Flight attendants shout orders on which direction to go to evacuate the plane,” Bubb explains. “Passengers likely cover their noses and mouths with their hands or their arms to avoid inhaling the smoke. Additionally, if the smoke is thick, it can be hard to see.”
If you happen to be carrying a small flashlight, use it to navigate through the smoke, Rimmer says.
Leave your bag, and grab supplies, if possible
In the event of a crash, don’t attempt to retrieve your carry-on bag from the overhead bins. “Leave it, and follow the flight attendants’ instructions,” Bubb says. In other words, there’s nothing you should try to take out of your bag and bring with you. “You have to quickly evacuate the aircraft, leave everything and head for the exits,” Bubb says.
Attempting to bring your bag with you will delay your escape from the aircraft and threaten the safety of everyone behind you, Rimmer explains. That said, if water, food or other necessities for survival are easily accessible, grab them on your way out of the plane, Bubb says.
Move away from the plane
If you have survived a crash, the first thing to do is get away from the wreckage to a safe space. “There potentially could be an explosion, especially if fire comes in contact with jet fuel,” Bubb says. And definitely don’t slow down to capture pictures or videos, Rimmer says.
What should you do next? “The second thing to do [after you’ve moved away from the plane] is seek help, if possible,” Bubb says. “If your cellphone can pick up enough signal for use, call for help. If not, and you are not too severely injured, find the nearest road or house and call for help.”
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Sources:
- Dan Bubb, PhD, former airline pilot and current aviation safety expert and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; email interview, June 12, 2025
- David Rimmer, CEO of AB Aviation and senior associate at GoCrisis; email interview, June 13, 2025
- Federal Aviation Administration: “FAA Gears Up for Busy Summer Travel”
- USA Facts: “Is flying safer than driving?”
- National Transportation Safety Board: “Survivability of Accidents Involving Part 121 US Air Carrier Operations: 2020 Update”
- New York Times: “How the Man in Seat 11A Became a Plane Crash’s Sole Survivor”
- Telegraph India: “The 11A link: Two survivors, two crashes, and one seat number that refused to give in”
- Independent: “Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Experts weigh in after Air India tragedy”
- Federal Aviation Administration: “Wear Sensible Clothing”
- Federal Aviation Administration: “Brace for impact positions”
- Federal Aviation Administration: “Flying with Children”
