Why not parachutes instead of life jackets on planes?

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Tim

1.) The cost of parachutes that would have to be maintained by the airline every year would be enourmous!!

2.) I don't think any mothers with infants and elderly customers in wheelchairs would dawn on a parachute.

3.) The cabin is pressurized. Yes, technically you can open the doors at cruising altitude, however, the rapid decompression would suck the poor soul out the plane (well then I hope they have their parachute!!)

4.) If you jump out of a jetliner, you would die. The plane is going about 600 mph, it's minus 50 degrees, and you would have a great chance at hitting the tail fin when you jump. Due to the lack of oxygen and the temps, there is over a 99.9 percent chance you'll die unless you have an oxygen mask.

5.) Take the Alaska Airlines MD-80 that crashed from cruising altitude a few years back. It literally fell straight down, nose first into the water. If there had been parachutes on board, no one would have had time to think about getting it on becuause the gravitational force keeping them in their seats on the way down was too great.

6.) You think you pay a lot of money now for a ticket, think of the fuel surcharges you'd have due to extra weight for a parachute!!

Benshelly

If the plane is falling towards the ground and i open the door you will probably get pulled out and thrown into the engine.

Plus what about children and old people they cant do that? Not everyone will be ready to jump at the same time. Theres not much oxygen at a high level so probably very dangerous. Parachuting is a skill and not simple as put on a life jacket.

sanga282

if you are landing in water(which is the most likely outcome for most flights) a parachute will cause you to die quicker, you wont be aloud to exit the plane until it has landed somehow which is normaly when it crashes into the sea. Therefore you would need a life jacket

Spike

Practicality and weight for 2 answers. Can you imagine the weight of 300 parachutes and the space they would take up. The extra fuel needed would be immense and to jump from a plane takes training and courage and that is in a controled situation in a level flying slow plane not a jet out of control in an emergency situation.You cannot jump from a plane above a certain speed, you would need an ejector seat. The best bet for survival is an emergency landing on water hence the lifejackets.

Alex L

that does make more sense...
but when you jump out of the plane with your parachute, and land in the water what are you going to do?

Lurkily

Parachutes over water will absorb water, become very heavy, and possibly wrap around the wearer in the water; either way, they will drag you under and kill you if you don't release them. Can you really see that many air travelers, who do so many stupid things in an airport, acting so reliably in the middle of a panicky situation?

Second, it's safer to just crash-land, than it is to decompress the airplane at height. Then also, if you open a parachute over a certain altitude you will die of asphyxiation while falling to the level where the air is thick enough to breathe properly. (I am unaware of whether commercial aircraft operate at these altitudes.)

Parachutes are for people who have been trained to use parachutes; even in an emergency, a person needs to be instructed on it's use before thrown into the air. Taking all these considerations into account, it's much safer to just crash-land.

Robert M

Because you can't open the doors at altitude. Also because of mass panic. PS. The crash position is actually to break your neck when the plane hits the ground, it's cheaper compensation.

Tinkerbell

It would probably cost too much, but its a good idea!! lol

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