Stuff Your Dad Knows

Falling is a leading cause of injury death. Only car accidents kill more people. But is it possible to survive a fall from an airplane?  It's happened a few times. Popular Mechanics did a bunch of research on this, and they found some surprising things. There are a few things you can do if you fall out of the plane. First, choose a target. You have some ability to steer yourself in the air. Look for something that may help your landing. Snow, mud, swamp, etc.  Avoid concrete and avoid water. Water doesn't compress. It's very dangerous. Assume a free fall position the way you see skydivers do it. Keeping your arms and legs out will help slow you down and steer a bit. Just before impact go feet first. Your legs essentially become a crumple zone. There are actually verified stories of people who survived falls from airplane height. Vesna Vulovic was traveling over Czecholslovakia in 1972 when the DC-9 in which she was a passenger blew up. She fell 33,000 feet. She survived by landing on a snowy incline. Alan McG