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How I survived a plane crash

bbc.co.uk

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Re: How I survived a plane crash

#21

Post by JumpCrisscross »

bitsoda wrote: post #10
mikeash wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surely you can find grisly accounts relating to any mode of transportation you care to name. There's nothing uniquely grisly about air travel accidents.

In motor vehicle accidents, you don't have time to think about what is going to happen. As a plane is in a freefall, there's at least a good 30 seconds before ground collision. Having that time to think about how your life is about to end seems grisly to me.

Take-off and landing, which account for only 2% of flight time, are responsible for about 40% of fatal crashes. If we include taxiing, final approach, and and initial climb this is 70% of fatal crashes for 6% of flight time [1].

Not much time there to contemplate your fate.

[1] http://planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm

Re: How I survived a plane crash

#22

Post by vecter »

Is it just me or is the most incredible part that she survived the impact? I'd be curious to understand how she fell from that high and didn't die from the immediate impact or wounds sustained from that, such as broken limbs that would have rendered her immobile. I imagine she probably just hit a ton of tree branches which softened the impact considerably. The odds of that seem tiny, but then again it could just be survivorship bias.

Re: How I survived a plane crash

#24

Post by grandpoobah »

bootload wrote: post #20

"... The pain was intense as the maggots tried to get further into the wound. I pulled out about 30 maggots and was very proud of myself. I decided to spend the night there. ..." Should have eaten the maggots, lots of protein.

And maggots are actually good for an open wound, they keep it clean. Atleast that's what I heard a Veterinarian say.

Re: How I survived a plane crash

#25

Post by shimon_e »

waiwai933 wrote: post #6
shimon_e wrote: post #3

Couldn't infrared have been used to detect where the living humans were after the plane had crashed? Sad outcome for the mother. :(

This particular crash was in 1971 in the middle of the Peruvian rainforest. I'm not sure when portable infrared cameras became available, but I doubt they were widely had around this time, and doesn't seem like it crashed near any major cities with air force bases nearby, so while the technology may have existed, I wouldn't be surprised if they were too expensive to just keep lying around waiting to be used.

I think you will find infrared was advance enough by 1971. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared#History_of_infrared_sc...

If they could afford to fly search planes overhead I can't see cost being the issue that prevented them from doing the search more efficiently.

Re: How I survived a plane crash

#26

Post by shimon_e »

vecter wrote: post #22

Is it just me or is the most incredible part that she survived the impact? I'd be curious to understand how she fell from that high and didn't die from the immediate impact or wounds sustained from that, such as broken limbs that would have rendered her immobile. I imagine she probably just hit a ton of tree branches which softened the impact considerably. The odds of that seem tiny, but then again it could just be s…

Her mother is said to have also survived the crash. Only to die a few days later in the forest.

Re: How I survived a plane crash

#27

Post by zalew »

vecter wrote: post #22

Is it just me or is the most incredible part that she survived the impact? I'd be curious to understand how she fell from that high and didn't die from the immediate impact or wounds sustained from that, such as broken limbs that would have rendered her immobile. I imagine she probably just hit a ton of tree branches which softened the impact considerably. The odds of that seem tiny, but then again it could just be s…

She wasn't so lucky not to break anything, but also amazing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesna_Vulovi%C4%87

Re: How I survived a plane crash

#28

Post by shimon_e »

shimon_e wrote: post #26
vecter wrote: post #22

Is it just me or is the most incredible part that she survived the impact? I'd be curious to understand how she fell from that high and didn't die from the immediate impact or wounds sustained from that, such as broken limbs that would have rendered her immobile. I imagine she probably just hit a ton of tree branches which softened the impact considerably. The odds of that seem tiny, but then again it could just be s…

Her mother is said to have also survived the crash. Only to die a few days later in the forest.

According to wikipedia, "It was later discovered that as many as 14 other passengers also survived the initial fall from the disintegrated plane but were unable to seek help and died while awaiting rescue."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LANSA_Flight_508

Re: How I survived a plane crash

#29

Post by grandpoobah »

velus wrote: post #15
spullara wrote: post #11

The saddest part about this whole story is that it seems if she had searched for her mother she might have saved her. It was probably worse finding out she was still alive after the crash.

No, there's no way she'd be able to save her. She could not carry her on the 9 day journey.

Could've said goodbye though
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