Excuse me please I am not trying to be insensitive just trying to understand RE: Air France crash?

Question

Would it really be that implausible for there to be any survivors 5 days on from this crash. I understand that it crashed into the Atlantic, but I thought it might have been more likely that there would have been a few survivors than if it had crashed on land.

Kind of puts me off wanting to fly long distance again really.

Answer 1

Totally agree with Jimmbbo's post. You are far safer on a plane than on the road. The biggest fault is with the media dramatizing an air disaster, when road deaths barely get a mention.

Answer 2

under the right conditions it would be likely to find survivors, but the conditions just weren't right.



If there was a loss of power the plane could have glided and made a controlled landing on the water. With calm seas this would be likely, the pilots were surely capable of making such a landing. This, however, was not the case. There was a storm, which means rough seas. With that being the case, it is very unlikely that the pilots would be able to safely ditch the plane. If they were able to safely ditch the plane, there should be some signs of survival equipment in the water, along with emergency locator beacon (elt) signals. This points to the fact that the plane most likely broke up upon impact. Sad but true. If that weren't the case people could survive for about a week, some may be able to survive longer.



Despite this accident flying is still remarkably safe. Flight over water is no more dangerous than flying over land. Your fear is rationalized by media coverage, and not reality. Look at what they were able to do with the swine flu. They took a mild case of the flu (influenza A and B are both worse) and turned it into a pandemic that killed 4 people in the US and disrupted the world economy. Continue flying.

Answer 3

Right!



Let's get a few things cleared up to begin with. If an aircraft hits the ground or water in an unplanned or uncontrolled way its called a crash. If the aircraft is under control (or partial control) and it comes down on the land its a forced landing - on water its called ditching.



The aircraft that went down in the Hudson was ditched - it had no power but it was under control. The Air France flight that went down in the atlantic crashed - as I understand it, was not under control or partial control.



Some of the factors that influence the chances of survival in a crash are, broadly speaking, the type of aircraft, the structural integrity of the aircraft (is it still an aeroplane or just so many pieces of metal falling to the surface), its speed on impact (did it fall from a great altitude and how fast was it going), its attitude (the angle at which it hit the surface) the presence of fire (pre and post impact), the terrain, the weather conditions and the time it takes for the rescue services to locate and respond to the casualty.



So, giving the circumstances (as reported at the time of writing) of the Air France crash, it would seem unlikely that there was any great chance of anybody surviving (and my prayers go to the victims of the accident and to their loved ones).



However, statistically speaking, you are far more likely to be killed or injured crossing the road than being hurt in an aircraft accident. So, don't be put off flying it's one of the safest forms of travel ever devised. It's far riskier getting to the airport by ground transport than flying out of it!

Answer 4

If the aircraft ditched smoothly, under positive control, there's an excellent chance that there would be many survivors. But if seas were rough, or if the ditching were uncontrolled or insufficiently smooth, the aircraft would have been thrown around and might have broken up, greatly reducing the chances of anyone surviving.



If there had been survivors, they might still have survived up to now on a raft or something, but that's an extremely long shot at this point in time … especially with bodies found floating, which implies that the aircraft did not ditch smoothly on the water.

Answer 5

That plane that landed in the Hudson River in New York City GLIDED gently into the water..... the pilot was educated and could handle his plane well enough to keep the nose up so that it did not go nose first into the river... the Air France plane came down at a high rate of speed from an altitude of about 30000 to 35000 feet and crashed into the water... and as someone before me stated, it would be like crashing into a brick wall at that speed and rate of falling and heaft of the plane... Plus, the number of days the plane has been down would make it a MIRACLE if anyone could have survived that crash---Unlike the plane in NYC in the Hudson River.... Plus, people in that plane were 100 fet or less from a shore whereas the Air France plane was 400 MILES from the nearest land... an Island off of Brazil...

Answer 6

Jimmbbo:



In a car you have more control, cause you are the one driving, besides you are on land. In a plane you have no control, you have to place all your faith in a pilot, and you are in the air. I would much rather die in land, then die in the middle of the atlantic ocean, were the ocean floor could be as deep as 22, 000 feet.



To your question:



It is unlikely there are any survivors, firstly if the plane exploded there would not be any survivors, if they survived that, they wouldn't survive hitting the ocean (it's like hitting concrete), if they live through that they would most definitely drown, or get eated by a shark, or get hypothermia, or starve, or dehydrate from lack of water. I hope to God they would be at least one survivor but I don't think so, sadly.



I've been praying for the families of those aboard, and those who were on board, I've been praying they find the plane so they get more detail on what happenned, altough it won't bring them back. The first day I heard the news I prayed for all the people on board, or at least a few to be alive (that was when they say it was missing), but as more details have come, we know the plane crashed and they are likely no survivors, so I pray they find there bodies, so there loved ones could at least bury them, and not leave those bodies in the ocean. Sadly the sharks in the ocean could eat the ...........I don't finish the phrase out of respect for the families, and the people who perished.

Answer 7

I suppose if it landed fairly gently on the water, then people could have escaped.... but the inflatable slides that double up as rafts are equipped with radio beacons that would have been detected...and they have not.



If there was a mid air explosion, and the plane just fell out of the sky, the fall would have killed everyone. Hitting water from that height would be as bad as hitting concrete

Answer 8

I appreciate your concern, but if you're getting spooked about riding in an airplane for the risk you might be killed, may I suggest you stay OUT of automobiles...



You are 300 times more likely to be killed in a car than an airliner..



EDIT: To add perspective, you would have to fly 3.3 million hours, or 377 years, flying 24/7/365 to be an airline fatality. I like the odds...



"Feeling in control" by driving a car may make you feel better, but the odds are not in your favor.

Answer 9

Hitting water from more than 30 feet is like hitting a brick wall.