Saturday’s Asiana Flight 214 crash in San Francisco has many thinking twice about air travel. While the survival rate in U.S. plane crashes averages 95.7 percent over the past 16 years according to the National Transportation Safety Board, the experience can be a harrowing one. But the decisions you make before, during and just after a plane crash or accident can help boost your chances of survival, say aircraft accident attorneys. Orlando’s Todd E. Copeland & Associates offers these tips.
- Booking early often allows you to choose your airplane seat. Pick one near an exit, within five rows if possible. The safest seats are in the rear of the plane and in the aisle.
- When you board the plane, count the number of seats between your seat and the nearest exit. If an incident fills the plane with smoke, your visibility may be severely limited and you may have to feel your way to the closest exit.
- Put down that in-flight magazine and stay alert during the first three minutes after take-off and the last eight just prior to landing. It’s during these two windows of time that 80 percent of plane accidents happen, so you’ll want to stay alert.
- Pay close attention to those pre-flight instructions by the flight attendants and visualize what you’ll do in the case of an accident or crash. Be sure to go over the plan with anyone traveling with you, especially if you’re traveling with children.
- When bracing for impact, place your weakest hand over your strongest hand (the one you write with). This will help protect your strongest hand, which you may need to unbuckle your seatbelt, hold your children, etc. after an accident or impact.
- If the plane you’re traveling on crashes into the water, wait until you’re outside the plane to inflate your life jacket. In a 1996 hijacking and ocean crash of an Ethiopian airliner, more than half of the 175 passengers died. Many of these deaths were drowning because passengers inflated their lifejackets too soon and got stuck inside the flooded fuselage.
- Wear flat shoes and keep them on. If you’re forced to evacuate after an accident, the surface may be extremely hot, so you’ll need shoes to protect your feet. Leave the high heels behind or carry them in your carry-on, as they can tear the emergency slide.
- Don’t panic. Easier said than done, we know. But remaining calm, alert and able to hear and understand direction from flight and rescue personnel could mean the difference in life and death.
Securing compensation for injuries and losses after an aircraft accident can be a tough battle. You can bet that commercial and private airlines have attorneys and insurance agents who will attempt to reach you with an out-of-court settlement as soon as possible. But understand that these offers are meant to protect the airline and limit their financial losses. Plus, other entities, such as the airport, air traffic control personnel, aircraft parts manufacturers, etc. may hold responsibility as well. Don’t agree to anything. Instead, get medical treatment and secure an experienced airplane accident lawyer.
Orlando’s Todd E. Copeland & Associates works closely with a team of professional plane crash investigators to identify the cause of the crash and determine all potential liabilities. Contact us at 407-999-8995 in Orlando or 407-847-7277 in Kissimmee.
