Are bigger planes safer? The higher you fly, the greater the risk? These "10 dark minutes" are a matter of life and death...

Expert of this article: Lin Wenjie, engineer, senior researcher of Chuando Think Tank

This article was reviewed by Lin Zhijie, an expert at the Civil Aviation New Think Tank and a senior writer of the Civil Aviation Column

Airplanes have become an important means of transportation for people.

According to data from the International Civil Aviation Organization, before the epidemic, there were an average of more than 100,000 flight takeoffs and landings every day worldwide, the number of travelers reached more than 4 billion each year, and there were approximately 39 million flights operated each year.

I believe that everyone is very worried when seeing the news about the MU5735 crash these days.

Weibo screenshot

Along with this, of course, there are some sayings about airplanes: Is the bigger the airplane, the safer it is? The higher it flies, the greater the risk?

Let’s explore the truth of the matter together…

Are bigger planes safer?

It is a misconception that larger airplanes are safer. This idea may come from people's understanding of cars.

In people's traditional view, the bigger the car is, the more majestic and domineering it looks, and it seems to increase the sense of security.

In the aviation field, the safety of an aircraft is related to many factors, including flight quality, weather conditions, maintenance level, and pilot status. The bigger the aircraft, the safer it is, and the smaller the aircraft, the less safe it is.

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The posture of holding the head when the plane breaks down,

Is it to leave an intact body?

When a plane breaks down and needs to make an emergency landing, the flight attendants usually ask passengers to sit forward with their heads in their hands. Some people believe that this will allow the passenger to have an intact body, but this is an incorrect understanding.

In the cockpit emergency manual, this posture is called the anti-impact posture, and its purpose is to increase the probability of survival when the aircraft makes an emergency landing.

The correct anti-impact posture is that passengers need to bend their bodies downward and hold their heads with both hands. This will reduce the damage to the body caused by the impact force generated during an emergency landing.

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Of course, larger impacts or uncontrolled crashes are another matter.

The anti-impact posture is only used to reduce the damage of impact to the body to a certain extent when dealing with an emergency landing. If it exceeds the threshold that the human body can withstand, the result may be different.

The higher you fly, the greater the risk?

There is another saying: "The take-off and landing phases of an airplane are safer, but the higher you fly, the greater the risk?"

In fact, the aircraft is most dangerous during takeoff and landing, and the cruising phase is the safest time in the flight.

The ceiling of ordinary civil airliners is about 12,000 meters, and the cruising altitudes vary. The cruising altitudes of short-haul flights range from 6,000 meters to 9,000 meters, and the cruising altitudes of intercontinental routes generally range from 8,000 meters to 12,000 meters.

At the same time, the cruising altitude needs to be determined according to the altitude layers set by different countries, but the cruising altitude is usually at the top of the troposphere, where visibility is high, airflow is stable, and the flight range is increased. The air becomes thinner above this altitude. In addition, the aircraft needs to follow the command of air traffic control at which altitude layer it flies, and it cannot be higher or lower than this altitude.

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During the takeoff and landing phases, the aircraft is in the troposphere, where there are not only horizontal air currents but also vertical air currents, which can pose a threat to the safe takeoff and landing of the aircraft. The aviation industry calls the 3-minute takeoff climb and 7-minute approach and landing the "black 10 minutes". More than 60% of flight accidents occur during the takeoff and landing phases.

Of course, accidents and incidents may also occur during the cruising phase of an aircraft, but the interference factor of weather will be much smaller, and there will be more mechanical or human factors.

There was only one parachute on the plane.

Is it for the pilot?

Modern airliners are not equipped with parachutes for three reasons:

First, the accident happened in a short time, so there was no time to perform the parachute jump;

Second, if the passengers have not received relevant training, even if they parachute, fatal accidents may occur due to other reasons;

Third, when an accident happens, the aircraft is generally in an uncontrollable or abnormal attitude state, and the flight environment is also relatively harsh. For example, the outside temperature is extremely low, which is not suitable for parachuting. Even trained paratroopers cannot parachute from an out-of-control aircraft. Only extreme skydivers can parachute from an out-of-control aircraft. As for whether a safe landing can be achieved in the end, it is uncertain.

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Is it dangerous to be struck by lightning while flying?

It is normal for an airplane to be struck by lightning, because it is inevitable that an airplane will encounter thunderstorms during flight. On average, an airplane will be struck by lightning once per year of flight.

Thunderstorm clouds appear in the troposphere exactly when the aircraft is taking off, climbing or landing. Since there is a conductive layer on the outer surface of the aircraft, the electric current can be dispersed and released through the surface of the fuselage without affecting the internal instruments or personnel.

Aircraft are equipped with discharge brushes at the wing tips to release static electricity into the atmosphere, thereby also reducing the probability of being struck by lightning.

In summary

These claims about the plane are all rumors

Don't spread it if you don't trust it