Relax, you're safe

The last few weeks have been filled with tragic air accidents but before we tell you how to pick the safest seat in case of an accident, allow us to set your mind at ease about just how unlikely that is. According to 2023 data from the International Air Transport Association, there was a risk of accident - fatal or otherwise - for one of every 1.26 million flights. Which almost double the peace of mind on the 2022 figures of one in every 770,000 flights reporting an accident. The adage that you’re more likely to be injured on the way to or from the airport is statistically true.

Where not to sit

The select few who turn left when boarding a plane are most frequently in the firing line when things go south, as planes tend to crash or crash land with the nose bearing the brunt of the impact. We'd also think twice about exit rows near the wings or middle of the plane. Yes, you can get out quickest but since the wings store fuel there is a significant risk of fire.

Head up the back

When Time magazine undertook the grim task of collating seating charts with aircraft accident fatalities - via the Federal Aviation Administration’s database - it found that: “seats in the back third of the aircraft had a 32 per cent fatality rate, compared with 39 per cent in the middle third and 38 per cent in the front third." So while it may take longer to get off the flight when you land, there is a numerical advantage.

The 2015 Time study seems to have been underpinned by separate 2007 research from Popular Mechanics which measured survival rates over fatalities - to keep things positive. It concluded that the rear cabin’s survival rate was 69 per cent, while the overwing and rest of economy was 56 per cent. Those in business and first survived just 49 per cent of the time. It’s also worth noting that the black box flight data recorders are generally kept near the back of aircraft as this location provides the highest chance of them remaining intact after an accident.

In the middle

Now that we’ve got your safety location sorted, it’s time to get specific with row position. Ironically, the seat which is least comfortable for a long haul - the middle of a row of three or four - were also the safest. Time noted, “That the middle seats in the rear of the aircraft had the best outcomes (28 per cent fatality rate). The worst-faring seats were on the aisle and in the middle third of the cabin (44 per cent fatality rate). Why? How do we put this delicately? The more people (and impact-absorbing aircraft infrastructure) you have on either side of you to take the contact, the higher your chances of surviving. So how does that play out in the real world? Glad you asked. If, for example, you are flying on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the sweet safety spot is seat E, row 52.  

What about the bathroom?

This is one of the great myths of air travel. Encased in a metallic shell within the plane may seem like a safety boon but it’s not. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Debating the topic on Quora, Tom Lynch, a for Master Army Aviator and Maintenance Test Pilot, declared, “Heck no! No seatbelts, so you’d be spam in a can.”

The big caveat

All these findings needed to be leavened with a big old sprinkling of salt because there have thankfully never been enough air crashes to provide conclusive proof that there is even such a thing as the safest seat on the plane. Mainly because the details of each crash vary with factors such as: which part of the plane was impacted first, what type of plane it is, did the plane land on water or hit an object, where did the mechanical failure take place. See what we mean? The stats are a mere guide in a bigger picture. The questions are endless and each has a role to play. The only certainty is that flying is and will remain one of the safest modes of transport on the planet.

See also:

Psycho game I play every time I fly

The truth about flying budget airlines in Europe

9 things to know before flying Japan airlines