THE safest place to sit on a plane in the event of a crash has been revealed and it’s not where most flyers book.
It comes after aviation experts examined 17 major crashes and mapped out exactly where victims were sitting on the planes.
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After taking a look at the data, researchers determined the safest seats on planes are at the back of the aircraft.
They found sitting in rear middle seats could offer the best chance of walking away from a crash.
To come to their conclusion, travel firm Ski Vertigo analyzed 17 major airline crashes between 1985 and 2000.
Their researchers compared seating charts with survival rates to find the safest spots onboard.
The rear middle seats had a fatality rate of 28%, the study found.
The rear third of the plane, meanwhile, had a 32% fatality rate.
The front and middle sections were slightly worse, at 38% and 39% respectively.
“When planes crash nose-first, the tail section tends to remain more intact,” said lead aviation researcher Alex Dyer.
“That gives passengers seated at the back a higher chance of survival.”
Ski Vertigo also analyzed 105 crashes around the world and surveyed 2,000 survivors.
The top survival factor was how close passengers were to an emergency exit, researchers found.
Travelers seated within five rows of an exit had significantly better odds of surviving.
Survival chances dropped sharply for passengers seated beyond six rows from an exit door, Ski Vertigo found.
“In the event of fire or water impact, seconds matter,” said Dyer.
“Being near an exit can mean the difference between getting out and getting stuck.”
Researchers insisted the most dangerous place to sit onboard is mid-cabin aisle seats due to the potential of being hit by flying debris or seeing delayed evacuations.
Those seats had the highest fatality rate of all at 44%, according to their findings.
Advice for safer flying
Ski Vertigo offered the following four pieces of advice to consider next time you board a plane:
- Count how many rows are between your seat and the nearest exit
- Pay attention to the safety briefing — it’s not just routine
- Keep your seatbelt fastened whenever seated
- Wear closed-toe shoes for quicker, safer evacuation
But Ski Vertigo noted no seat offers any guarantee of protection in a plane crash.
Crash angle, speed, and where the plane lands are all factors in survival outcomes.
“We’re not here to scare people, we want them to feel empowered,” said Dyer.
“When you understand the facts, you can make smarter decisions, even at 35,000 feet.”
SPATE OF CRASHES IN 2025
Americans are on high alert over sky safety after several high-profile crashes in the past few months.
At least 130 people have been killed in 33 plane crashes in the US so far this year, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Among the most devastating was the January 29, 2025, mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in DC.
A total of 67 people were killed when an American Airlines plane and Black Hawk military helicopter collided over the water.
This tragedy marked the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States in over two decades.
Just two days later, on January 31, 2025, a medical Learjet crashed into a residential neighborhood in Philadelphia shortly after takeoff from a nearby small airport.
All seven people on board were killed.
On February 17, a Delta plane crashed on a snowy runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.
It landed upside down and left travelers hanging like bats.
Weeks before that, a small commuter plane heading to Nome, Alaska, crashed in the icy tundra, sparking a desperate search.
Tragically, all 10 people on board the flight were found dead in the crashed plane.
And, a family of top scientists and former student-athletes were killed in a plane crash in New York on April 12 that left six people dead.
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