Surviving a plane crash - The 'brace' position.

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Nov 29, 2004
7,808
22
Scotland
I fly a lot and always pay attention to the safety briefing, but this is something I didn't know about the brace position...

"...Your dominant hand goes on the back of your head. Protect that hand by placing the other hand over it. Do not interlock fingers. The goal is to ensure that the bones in the stronger hand aren’t broken so you can eventually unbuckle the seatbelt..."

Of course flying is the safest way to travel, but if it all goes wrong this might be handy to know.

Full Article.

You could also hope that Denzil Washington is in the pilots seat.

[video=youtube;_nhxm5QEbYI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nhxm5QEbYI[/video]

:)
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
By brace position i assume you mean the head between your knees one?

Thats not there to help you survive, but to kill you quickly on impact by snapping your neck when thrown against the seat in front. Better than drowning, burning, or choking to death.
 

cranmere

Settler
Mar 7, 2014
992
2
Somerset, England
I'm afraid that one is a conspiracy theory, HillBill, it isn't true. Lots of tests show that it really is the best chance you have of remaining functional.
 
Nov 29, 2004
7,808
22
Scotland
Conspiracy? I was in the legions paras, we were told that.

I was told by the Royal Marine who taught my how to jump that if both main and reserve fail I should cross my legs.

That way I'd screw myself into the ground and save the cost of a funeral.

:)
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
By brace position i assume you mean the head between your knees one?

Thats not there to help you survive, but to kill you quickly on impact by snapping your neck when thrown against the seat in front. Better than drowning, burning, or choking to death.

Conspiracy? I was in the legions paras, we were told that.

I was in the Air Force, and our planes don't have front facing seats, ergo, no way to be thrown into the seat "in front of you."
 

GGTBod

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 28, 2014
3,209
26
1
I always thought the brace position was so at the last second on point of compact seconds after impact you got to kiss your bottom goodbye
 

Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,210
362
73
SE Wales
I was told by the Royal Marine who taught my how to jump that if both main and reserve fail I should cross my legs.

That way I'd screw myself into the ground and save the cost of a funeral.

:)

I had that told to me by the bootnecks as well.
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
A while back I saw something that stated if the seats were arranged so they were facing backwards instead of forwards then there would be less injuries and fatalities.
 

Repperz

Member
Feb 3, 2014
49
0
Tonbridge area..
Kind of begs the question why don't plane seats faces backwards, is there a good reason? Maybe during takeoff acceleration having a back makes it way more comfortable?
 

Bluebs4

Full Member
Aug 12, 2011
880
36
Bristol
When going on tour (boys from brizzle stag night) I couldn't take my eyes off her t@ts so missed out completely ! Thanks for info I'm sure I'll miss the important bits again when I fly :)
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
A while back I saw something that stated if the seats were arranged so they were facing backwards instead of forwards then there would be less injuries and fatalities.

Yep. That's why the seats on military aircraft generally face backwards.

Kind of begs the question why don't plane seats faces backwards, is there a good reason? Maybe during takeoff acceleration having a back makes it way more comfortable?


Cost is actually the lesser of the two reasons the article stated (at least the lesser of the direct costs) The main one is customer preference. Most people don't want to face backwards and or even more prone to motion sickness. Combine that and the psychological effect of the airlines admitting the possibility of a crash and you have the most important factor. Of course that translates into costs due to decreased passenger traffic.
 

brambles

Settler
Apr 26, 2012
771
71
Aberdeenshire
By brace position i assume you mean the head between your knees one?

Thats not there to help you survive, but to kill you quickly on impact by snapping your neck when thrown against the seat in front. Better than drowning, burning, or choking to death.

Pretty inefficient technique then, given that lots of passengers survive crash landings!
 

TarHeelBrit

Full Member
Mar 13, 2014
687
3
62
Alone now.
By brace position i assume you mean the head between your knees one?

Thats not there to help you survive, but to kill you quickly on impact by snapping your neck when thrown against the seat in front. Better than drowning, burning, or choking to death.

Hey Bill,

Ramp Rat, Mechanic, Pilot or Counter?? My wife is a former ramp rat and told me about this. It's designed to snap your neck on the seat in front. Anyone who has worked for the aitlines or has family that has knows this.
 

mountainm

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 12, 2011
9,990
12
Selby
www.mikemountain.co.uk
By brace position i assume you mean the head between your knees one?

Thats not there to help you survive, but to kill you quickly on impact by snapping your neck when thrown against the seat in front. Better than drowning, burning, or choking to death.
Mythbusters disproved that one.
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0768482/

[video=youtube_share;ClX2yldxZPw]http://youtu.be/ClX2yldxZPw[/video]
 
Last edited:

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Hey Bill,

Ramp Rat, Mechanic, Pilot or Counter?? My wife is a former ramp rat and told me about this. It's designed to snap your neck on the seat in front. Anyone who has worked for the aitlines or has family that has knows this.

Pilot and mechanic here. Nope; the position works as taught. Sometimes, LOL.
 

mrcharly

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 25, 2011
3,257
44
North Yorkshire, UK
Lets think - you have a lapbelt - you are sitting upright. The plane crashes, you are thrown forward by the impact. Restrained by the seatbelt, your head accelerates until it hits seat in front of you.

Brace position, same scenario. Head doesn't get accelerated more than a few inches because you are already bent right over and prevented from moving by seatbelt.
 

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