Fighter jets and military aircraft have multiple parachutes on-board that can be used by passengers in the case of extreme emergencies cases where jumping out of the plane is basically the only way to survive.

Given the fact that commercial jets ferry significantly more passengers on a daily basis all over the world, wouldn’t it make sense to have parachutes for all the passengers onboard these planes too?


There are a few reasons, including the lack of parachute training of passengers, non-conducive design of commercial planes and the cost spike, which make putting parachutes onboard commercial airplanes unviable.




https://www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/why-dont-commercial-airplanes-have-parachutes-for-all-their-passengers.html

Airline passengers have no parachute training.


What you have on every commercial plane are people who have never used or seen a parachute in their lives.

Without a minimum of training, most people would not even be able to strap the parachute on correctly, never mind open it and land safely.

Even on the ground and with plenty of time this is not easy.

In the confined space of an airliner and in a high-stress situation/commotion, it would be even more difficult.

Skydives are pre-planned.


An important thing to remember about skydiving is that it occurs under perfectly normal conditions.

Since the jumps are pre-planned, the skydiver knows well in advance that they are going to jump out of a moving airplane.

In contrast, passengers onboard airplanes would never know in advance that they might have to take the leap in the next few minutes.


Skydives are extensively planned and prepared for in advance.


In essence, what you have on a commercial plane are people who have never used or seen a parachute in their lives, but have to strap on the gear effectively in only a minute or two and prepare to jump.

They also have to do all this while wearing their emergency oxygen masks (we haven’t even factored in the environment of confusion and commotion that would rock the cabin in such an emergency situation where 200 passengers needs to jump in less than 2minutes).


Let's us imagine a situation where the plane is nose diving.

Commercial aircraft fly very high.



Planned skydives, including the riskiest ones, occur no more than 15,000 - 16,000 feet above the ground.


Plus, the planes these skydivers jump from are usually small and aren’t moving that fast.

On the contrary, most commercial airplanes cruise at around 35,000 feet an altitude where you won’t find any breathable air, and they also fly much faster.

In order for passengers parachuting out of a downed airplane to not pass out due to hypoxia, they would need oxygen cylinders, provided that they ‘clear’ the plane safely, which, by the way, is another important concern.

Commercial airplanes are not designed to be conducive for people jumping out of it.



Planes that host regular, individual skydives are typically small, so skydivers clear it pretty much immediately after the jump.

Large military aircraft, on the other hand, have a nice ramp at the back where parachutists can jump and steer clear of the fuselage.


Military aircraft have a ramp at the back to facilitate skydives.

Commercial aircraft, however, have neither a small body nor a ramp.




Jumping out of a conventional airplane would include the serious risk of smashing into the fuselage of the aircraft (its wings, engine or tail), and sustain grievous, if not fatal injuries.

Most accidents occur during landing and takeoff.




Now, this is a purely statistical reason.

The most practical time for parachuting out of an airplane is when it’s cruising/stable.

However, it’s generally observed that most fatal plane crashes occur either during landings or takeoffs times when parachutes would be pretty useless as there will be no time.

Parachuting kits are bulky and expensive


A parachute is too bulky to fit under a typical economy class seat.

Plus, its heavy.

Naturally, it would take up sizable space on the plane, which is already quite costly.

Also, adding parachutes for every soul on a commercial airplane would easily add around 6,000 - 8,000 pounds to its overall weight, a situation that airlines desperately try to avoid.

To top it all off, parachuting gear (helmet, altimeter, goggles etc.) is quite expensive, which means that airfare would increase significantly if parachutes were made mandatory on all commercial flights.


All in all, putting parachutes on commercial airplanes isn’t viable, both practically and economically.

Even if they did start putting parachutes onboard, the chances that they would save every soul during a real emergency are virtually non-existent.

Nice info. Thumbs up Explorers

Basically, it's clear that parachute for each passenger won't happen, the reasons are too much as you've rightly explained.

I saw an explanatory video about a new type of plane that would be designed to have some sort of demarcation between the passenger cabin and the cockpit. It will be able to detach from the cockpit and the wings in an emergency situation and engage in a free fall for a little time before two very large parachutes are automatically deployed to give It balance and drastically reduce it's impact on the ground or water. Also it will have large floaters deployed below it that can land on the ground and on water.
But, the challenge with this plane is if there'll be strong maintenance on the hooks that will hold the body of the plane to the cockpit and its wings, and an avoidance of a situation where the hooks fail to detach from the cockpit and wings.

modified

For the sake of multiple concerns about the lives of the pilots, it should be made clear that they are expected to evacuate the cockpit before detachment. It could be by ejection or most likely having to join the passenger cabin before hitting 'detach'.

So, to any pilot reading this, your life also matters, no one is leaving you behind.

Ok oh

As usual, Explorer has done it again. Giving us informative and educative topics like no man's business. Thanks boss. I cork my gun for you sir.

Explorer did nothing. No reference on the write up except that he wrote it by heart. It is important we give credit to original writers, it is not easy to think.
I am the worst critic you can find or can find you!

Nice info from Explorer. The only solution to saving lives during crash is to install the plane with Whole Plane Parachutes that's the only way It May Save Lives It's work in progress and the practice has already been done in smaller planes that carried 5 passengers. So they wanna replicate it on bigger commercial planes that carry over 200 people on board.

GloryIsaac:
Basically, it's clear that parachute for each passenger won't happen, the reasons are too much as you've rightly explained.

I saw an explanatory video about a new type of plane that would be designed to have some sort of demarcation between the passenger cabin and the cockpit. It will be able to detach from the cockpit and the wings in an emergency situation and engage in a free fall for a little time before two very large parachutes are automatically deployed to give It balance and drastically reduce it's impact on the ground or water. Also it will have large floaters deployed below it that can land on the ground and on water.
But, the challenge with this plane is if there'll be strong maintenance on the hooks that will hold the body of the plane to the cockpit and its wings, and an avoidance of a situation where the hooks fail to detach from the cockpit and wings.

What about the pilot?

Smily202:


What about the pilot?

He's expected to evacuate the cockpit.

GloryIsaac:
Basically, it's clear that parachute for each passenger won't happen, the reasons are too much as you've rightly explained.

I saw an explanatory video about a new type of plane that would be designed to have some sort of demarcation between the passenger cabin and the cockpit. It will be able to detach from the cockpit and the wings in an emergency situation and engage in a free fall for a little time before two very large parachutes are automatically deployed to give It balance and drastically reduce it's impact on the ground or water. Also it will have large floaters deployed below it that can land on the ground and on water.
But, the challenge with this plane is if there'll be strong maintenance on the hooks that will hold the body of the plane to the cockpit and its wings, and an avoidance of a situation where the hooks fail to detach from the cockpit and wings.

This might be part of the future safety measures that should be embedded in commercial flights

Explorers:
Most accidents occur during landing and takeoff.




Now, this is a purely statistical reason.

The most practical time for parachuting out of an airplane is when it’s cruising/stable.

However, it’s generally observed that most fatal plane crashes occur either during landings or takeoffs times when parachutes would be pretty useless as there will be no time.

It's a fact based on plane accident history. Once an airplane is at a cruising altitude, chances of accident is near zero and even if there's an incident, there will be enough time for recovery. This is why take offs and landings must be executed done manually without the help of auto pilot.

Parachutes can kill too if used without proper training. First time, I so struggled with it that I had to cut it loose with my knife before landing and got injured. Also if used in the commercial airliner, midair collisions when hundreds of people jump out of an ill-fated jet will be another source of worry. It's just an impossible venture.

Explorers:
Airline passengers have no parachute training.


What you have on every commercial plane are people who have never used or seen a parachute in their lives.

Without a minimum of training, most people would not even be able to strap the parachute on correctly, never mind open it and land safely.

Even on the ground and with plenty of time this is not easy.

In the confined space of an airliner and in a high-stress situation/commotion, it would be even more difficult.

but do passengers have dying training? the parachute should have been a last resort kinda.

Thanks for this thread, some people were arguing about this same thing the other day. The detailed information explains a lot

The airlines can invest in parachute pods that don't require training of passengers.

Explorer! the grand master of educative post.
Twale o!

verifiablefacts:

but do passengers have dying training? the parachute should have been a last resort kinda.

Last resort how?

Did you read the parachuting is pre-planned?

They plan when, where, and how they jump before going airborne.

There is max speed/height when parachuting and this can only happen when a plane is in a good or normal working condition.



To have a plane where passenger can jump, there must be ramp at the back just like the military and cargo planes.

When there's emergency at about 30,000ft, then the crew will ask all passengers, over 200 to pick up their parachutes/gears including passengers with toddlers/babies, and the old.

After that, they will ask them to be on a single file and move to the rear end of the plane.

Then they start jumping, where's the landing spot? Ocean, Desert, Jungle, thousands of miles from civilization.



Think about the rescue operation, picking up over 200 people scattered in the sea, desert or jungle.

nigeriancritic1:
Explorer did nothing. No reference on the write up except that he wrote it by heart. It is important we give credit to original writers, it is not easy to think.

Eh yah, sorry you hear. And also get well soon

May we never experienced plane Crash or any crash in Jesus name Amen

This really interesting. We learn everyday

GloryIsaac:
Basically, it's clear that parachute for each passenger won't happen, the reasons are too much as you've rightly explained.

I saw an explanatory video about a new type of plane that would be designed to have some sort of demarcation between the passenger cabin and the cockpit. It will be able to detach from the cockpit and the wings in an emergency situation and engage in a free fall for a little time before two very large parachutes are automatically deployed to give It balance and drastically reduce it's impact on the ground or water. Also it will have large floaters deployed below it that can land on the ground and on water.
But, the challenge with this plane is if there'll be strong maintenance on the hooks that will hold the body of the plane to the cockpit and its wings, and an avoidance of a situation where the hooks fail to detach from the cockpit and wings.

I think the whole passenger capsule parachute might work; better still a whole plane parachute.

Returning space capsules have deployable parachutes. I wonder why they have not been able to work that on passenger planes. There should to be a way of bringing an out-of-control plane safely down without a pilots struggle and autopilot.

S

Thanks explorer. Enjoyed it.
Lalasticalala, this is Frontpage material

Thanks for your research explorers
This had puzzle my mind too

That's why I even created a thread to this question
https://www.nairaland.com/5074697/plane-crashs-why-passenger-planes

Explorers:


Last resort how?

Did you read the parachuting is pre-planned?

They plan when, where, and how they jump before going airborne.

There is max speed/height when parachuting and this can only happen when a plane is in a good or normal working condition.



To have a plane where passenger can jump, there must be ramp at the back just like the military and cargo planes.

When there's emergency at about 30,000ft, then the crew will ask all passengers, over 200 to pick up their parachutes/gears including passengers with toddlers/babies, and the old.

After that, they will ask them to be on a single file and move to the rear end of the plane.

Then they start jumping, where's the landing sport? Ocean, Desert, Jungle, thousands of miles to civilization.

Think about rescue operation, picking up over 200 people scattered in the sea, desert or jungle.

when there is a chance of saving even a soul from hundreds, I don't think it will be a waste of parachutes or resource

My point is,passengers are not trained for parachuting, agreed but do we resign to fate when they may be a chance(even if slim)of saving some?

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postemail:


I think the whole passenger capsule parachute might work; better still a whole plane parachute.

Returning space capsules have deployable parachutes. I wonder why they have not been able to work that on passenger planes. There should to be a way of bringing an out-of-control plane safely down without a pilots struggle and autopilot.

S

I doubt that there can be a full-plane parachute because of the Jet engines. In such a situation, the engines are usually smoking already, so an explosion is imminent.
Secondly, the parachute doesn't guarantee smooth landing, it only guarantees a landing that won't cost human lives. Coupled with the fact that most of the time, the plane tires refuse to deploy.
So, a full-plane parachute landing isn't viable because the engines are at a great risk of exploding, and even if they don't, the not-so-smooth parachute landing will most likely trigger it.

K