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What Happens If You Get Sucked Out of a Plane?

Posted by Roblimo on from the do-not-try-this-at-home dept.

astroengine writes "We've all wondered about it. When flying at 30,000ft, you look around the cramped economy class cabin thinking 'I wonder if I'd survive being sucked out of this plane if a hole, say, just opened above my head?' That's probably around the time that you should fasten your seat belt. According to medical experts interviewed by Discovery News in the wake of the Southwest Airlines gaping hole incident, the rapid depressurization, low oxygen levels and freezing cold would render you unconscious very quickly. Assuming you don't get chopped in half as you exit through the hole and hit the tail, you'd be long dead before you hit the ground. Nice."

8 of 327 comments (clear)

  1. This has sadly happened... by Aphrika · · Score: 4, Informative

    A flight attendant was killed when she was blown out of Aloha Airlines flight 243 back in 1988.

    The plane landed with a huge section of fuselage missing, but the other passengers survived. Not a trip I'd like to be on, and makes the Southwest incident look minor in comparison.

    1. Re:This has sadly happened... by AHuxley · · Score: 5, Informative

      Also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_5390 the left windscreen failed at 17300 feet and the captain was sucked 1/2 out.

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    2. Re:This has sadly happened... by damburger · · Score: 4, Informative

      He survived, but only just. Until the paramedics got there the crew were convinced he was long dead.

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  2. They must have overlooked this by houghi · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_5390

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  3. Re:Not really by cpghost · · Score: 4, Informative

    Those who walked up the Everest had time to depressurize very slowly. Every diver will tell you what happens if you depressurize too fast.

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    cpghost at Cordula's Web.
  4. Re:I've actually thought about this by St.Creed · · Score: 4, Informative

    And here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Alkemade

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  5. Re:It ain't necessarily so by advocate_one · · Score: 4, Informative

    I can vouch for this as I was there that night and several days after as one of the search parties tasked with finding and marking the positions of the occupants... not fun at all... very messy.

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  6. Re:Not really by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yes, that's how Outward Bound got started (the realization that numerous Merchant Marine crews torpedoed in WWII were dying when they really could have survived with training and a better mental attitude). However, the physics of floating in a lifeboat and bailing out at 30,000 feet without gear are slightly different.

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