Jumping on a crashing plane

[justasking]

after seeing the jumping on a train question it made me wonder....if you were on a crashing plane and jumped into the air just before it hit the ground would you have more chance of surviving because the impact wouldnt be so strong>?

[Llamatron]

The principal is still the same.
The plane is hurtling towards the ground at 300 mph and so are you.
If you jump up just as the plane hits the ground you're still gonna be travelling at 300 mph and it's still gonna sting.

Although I remember it working for Bugs Bunny once.

[Postdog]

I shouldn't think so because the momentum of the plane would force the plane into you, even if you're timing was spot on.

A harder question would be supposing, just as the plane was crashing, you jumped out at the last 2 or 3 feet - would you survive because it isn't so much of a fall?

[Siamsal]

Strictly speaking, you could argue you would.

As you jump, you might be doing 299�mph downwards, as opposed to the plane's 300mph. I can't see as that would significantly improve your odds of surviving, though.

[Susie Strawb]

They tested something similar on Brainiac recently, whether if you're in a falling lift it would make any difference if you jumped just before the lift hit the ground - it didn't but my argument is how the hell would you know when the lift was going to hit the ground anyway??

[boink]

ok with the plane thing, isnt this how astranouts train for space travel? the plane dives at an allarming rate, meaning the occupants are as close to weightless as is possible and so can float about inside the plane almost as though they were in a spaceship?

[Sherry1]

Watch the little lights over the door Susie Strawb

[Siamsal]

Yes, boink. If the aircraft was in freefall, the passengers would be weightless and floating about the cabin. But if it was still flying, albeit into the ground, they wouldn't be weightless.

[Llamatron]

Just to be a pedant but surely when a plane dives you only appear weightless. You're still being affected by gravity as you're still falling. Just like the plane. You only appear weightless relative to the plane and the other objects falling with you.

Although, thinking about it, isn't that what being in orbit is all about?

I'll get me coat.

[2825]

Those people training in an aircraft hurtling towards the ground feel weightlessness because they are travelling faster than gravity is pulling them down. That is to say that the plane is deliberately powered toward the ground. In the event of a plane crash the plane is being pulled by gravity, not being powered downwards.

[missmay]

maybe bres should avoid this question!!

[joko]

postdog - er...that is the same as the main question isn't it?

besides, you would be thrown to the back of the plane and then even if you survivved the landing, the ball of flames it would turn into would likely kill you anyway