christep - surviability is relative.
 

Christep,

Take a look at:

http://aviation-safety.net/database/1996/961123-0.htm

Ethiopian Airlines ditching in 1996 following a hijack.

There is also a book by two of the British survivors of this flight, "Hijack". And at the bottom of the linked page a link to some truely frightening video captured from the beach.

This shows that on ditching - survival odds, not good, but survivable - yes.

Never give up!

I've heard it said that the hijackers of that ET aircraft were attempting to interfere with the controls all the way down to the surface, so the result of the ditching may not be representative of what could have been achieved had it been entirely controlled.

I'm also a fully paid up member of "Safe Flyers Anonymous", but my background in statistical analysis leads me to suspect that it's unlikely to do me any good. Scrutiny of the 24 fatal incidents since 9/11 listed on AirSafe reveals that (apart from one depressurisation in Brazil with just a single fatality) your chances of surviving any such accident are slim - only 105 survivors compared with 2,141 fatalities.

Hope this isn't too depressing - remember that, even for the most frequent flyers, the chances of being involved in an aviation accident during your lifetime are much smaller than the chance of a single ticket winning the lottery!

I wonder how much the region of the world you do your flying in affects your chances of getting the jackpot on the lottery - as it were!

I do much of my flying around West Africa and I can't help but feel that my chances of being in an accident are higher than if I only flew around the US.

Gouabafla

Well judging by the story a pax told me on an aircraft once about when he was flying as a pax somewhere in darkest Africa you might just about be right mate.

As the plane was landing an obviously very noticeable part fell off the plane.

The captains voice eventually came over the PA "Well, it's just as well it didn't fall off midflight. :oh:

Redarding ditchings, there have been several ditchings made by large under wing jets, 707 landed on lake victoria (or a lake in Africa) all the crew survuived, Nimrod ditched into the north sea after an engine fire, all survived and the plant took ages to sink, and the numerous over runs by jets ending up in the water. Have a hunt around on airdisaster.com and im sure you'll find a lot more. One more ditching not by a jet but still large was a Boeing Statsicrusier that ditched in the pacific, all on board again survived, there's a book about it ill try find the photos of and post a link.

TAAT 707 reg ST APY crashed ditched near Mwanza Airport Check the photos on airsaftey.net:ok:

I know that this thread has drifted right off course but it's our cabin back here and we can do what the heck we like. (I'm sure that Xenia is keeping a look out for where we're going!)

As for West Africa ... my nephew operated a contract for the UN in Angola a few years ago and was VERY glad to return to South Africa. He even reckoned that getting malaria had the advantage of getting him out a couple of weeks early. :eek:

As for surviving a major incident ... my presumption is that I will not survive it. This does not worry me. Like most folks you just want it to be quick and a plane crash tends to be so. The classic line of Woody Allen comes to mind, "I'm not frightened of dying. I just don't want to be there when it happens."

Easybaby,

The Nimrod doesn't have underslung engines. They're in the wing roots. According to the reports I came across they were extremely lucky that it was a calm day and that they got down before the fire took the main spar out. I suspect that there was probably some damn good airmanship involved, too.

What would happen with your average airliner coming down in any reasonable swell is open to some conjecture, though.

LOL - this is funny..... interesting how topics change....

so now im going off on a tangent again.... sorry to the mod....

ChrisVJ, I think I need to be in that group too. I too count the seat rows to the emergency exits, and also to the front/rear exit (whichever is closest :) ) I also do the "who is going to hinder me in an evac" look round the cabin, and all that.

Coconuts, I have that battle every time I fly - sit near the window and have a great view, or get an aisle & possibly save my life. Though, you may just get a good view of what's happening to not save your life.... :E

So if any of you CC here are on a PER-SYD or MEL, and you get a pax doing all that *and* paying attn to the demo, it's probably me!!!

Sky

Paxboy, I wasn't complaining about the topic change - I was appreciating it. Pushing things even further....

Aisle seats don't just make you feel safer - they also allow you to get to the loo more easily. There's nothing worse than being stuck in a window seat and desperate for a pee, while the passenger in the aisle seat gently snores and resists all of your tactful attempts to get their attention.