17 replies to this topic

[John Drake]

Did anyone see The Plane Crash on Channel 4 last night?

If not, the title is a bit of a giveaway, basically they crashed a plane in the desert to see what would happen and what could be learned in terms of passenger safety.

The main lesson seemed to be this: don't travel first class! The more you pay for your seat, the less likely you are to survive if your plane falls out of the sky. Seat 7A was particularly unlucky. Meanwhile, at the back in pleb class, the majority of the imaginary passengers were apparently escaping with minor injuries.

But then they showed an interview with one of the survivors of the Kegworth air crash, who was sat right at the front of that plane and got out alive because it hit the ground tail first, somewhat discounting the previous theory. Hmmm.

[Johnoco]

How many passengers did they eat before resorting to the airline meals?





NTNOCN

[chuffer]

I missed the bit about whether the brace position is good/bad for you.....what were the findings of that one?......the narrator said something about whether you do or don't employ the position can make the difference between a broken neck or a broken ankle.....which was which?

Edited by chuffer, 12 October 2012 - 10:13 AM.

[John Drake]

I missed the bit about whether the brace position is good/bad for you.....what were the findings of that one?......the narrator said something about whether you do or don't employ the position can make the difference between a broken neck or a broken ankle.....which was which?

Brace is best. It means your head doesn't whack into the seat in front quite as hard on impact and you've less chance of breaking your back, too. Broken ankles are a possibility, however. Remember to fasten your seatbelt. If you don't, you'll just cannonball off your own seat right under the one in front, legs first. Not pretty.

I remember a Billy Connolly routine where he described adopting the brace position before a plane crash as an opportunity to kiss your 'arris goodbye.

[Futtocks]

There is the alternative theory that the brace position is said to give your skull the best chance of surviving more or less intact so your corpse can be identified easier by dental records.

Edited by Futtocks, 12 October 2012 - 12:31 PM.

[Red Willow]

Some really interesting stuff on it. I did wonder whether crashing on a hard surface such as the runway rather then the sand would also affect. This could be important to the fron section.

[Methven Hornet]

I liked the idea that you can control a plane remotely by using what appeared to be a model aircraft control box. I'm sure that software won't be released to the public anytime soon.

[Shadow45]

There is the alternative theory that the brace position is said to give your skull the best chance of surviving more or less intact so your corpse can be identified easier by dental records.

T'is one of those "urban myths". I'm 6ft 5" so unless I book a seat with extra legroom I can't adopt the brace posistion.

[stimpo-and-kat]

Watching the programme last night, the nose wasnt lifted as the plane hit the ground which I would expect a pilot to do in a real crash. Id guess thats what killed first class

[Red Willow]

But would the nose have skidded if in a hard surface rather than dug into the sand

[Just Browny]

I usually fly Easyjet so you've normally got some orange Scouse woman leaning so far back in the seat in front that any aspiration of adopting the brace position is futile.

[my missus]

i think the main thing was the fact about the front tyres being poor, the impact collapsed them they went under the cockpit and caused the whole front section to break away,i won't be sitting at the front if possible.

[Mumby Magic]

Me and my wife (sat many rows apart) both thought we heard the tanoy say "get into the crash position" when flying back from our honeymoon 7 years ago. I looked around and saw no one else doing it! Thankfully. Really weird that we both misheard whatever they said.

[tonyXIII]

Me and my wife (sat many rows apart) both thought we heard the tanoy say "get into the crash position" when flying back from our honeymoon 7 years ago. I looked around and saw no one else doing it! Thankfully. Really weird that we both misheard whatever they said.

So, at the end of your honeymoon, your wife didn't want to sit next to you? What did you do? I think there is something you are not telling us.

[Bleep1673]

You could survive a plane crash, but the ensuing fireball would incinerate all the "Survivors" alive, especially if it was soon after take-off.

I used to play rugby with a guy who lived in Hounslow, right on one of the flight paths, I asked him if the noise disturbs him, and he said the only time he noticed it was when Concorde came in, as the whole house shook

Edited by Bleep1673, 14 October 2012 - 11:03 AM.

[Mumby Magic]

So, at the end of your honeymoon, your wife didn't want to sit next to you? What did you do? I think there is something you are not telling us.

I know. It was weird . We had to change halfway back and for some reason they didn't sit us together.

[Futtocks]

I used to play rugby with a guy who lived in Hounslow, right on one of the flight paths, I asked him if the noise disturbs him, and he said the only time he noticed it was when Concorde came in, as the whole house shook

Apparently there was one car park at Heathrow where many people returned to find their car batteries flat. Concorde used to pass quite near, and the vibration would set off all the car alarms.

[gingerjon]

Apparently there was one car park at Heathrow where many people returned to find their car batteries flat. Concorde used to pass quite near, and the vibration would set off all the car alarms.

That's probably true as Concorde used to set off car alarms in Mortlake some days.