Where Is the Safest Seat on a Plane?

Aviation disasters and emergencies like the recent mid-air collision involving an American Eagle plane near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Delta Connection plane rollover at Toronto Pearson International Airport have many travelers wondering this: Where are the safest seats on a plane? 

In spite of a spate of recent incidents, flying is relatively safe no matter where you sit. In fact, statistics show that air travel is the safest form of transit in the US, according to data collected by the US Department of Transportation.

Of course, flying doesn’t come without risks, but one small way to reduce those risks is with a more strategic selection of your seat location.

Rear seats for safer bets

So, where should you sit to increase your safety odds?

By analyzing 50 years of reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Statista found that those passengers seated in the back of the plane had a 69 percent survival rate during an accident. This is compared with 56 percent for those sitting at the wing and 49 percent for those seated up front in first class or business class.

When choosing a specific rear seat, the most preferable are those within a couple of rows of an exit door. If booking a seat in the actual exit row, be sure you are comfortable with flight attendants asking you to help with such tasks as opening the exit door and assisting fellow passengers in exiting the aircraft during an emergency. Also keep in mind that you may be asked to give up your exit row seat if you don’t have the physical “mobility, strength, or dexterity” to operate the exit or if you aren’t at least 15 years old.

Comfort and safety at odds

The universally dreaded middle seat may actually be the safest with a considerably low 28 percent fatality rate, according to a TIME magazine analysis of the Federal Aviation Adminstration's Accident and Incident Data. Comparatively, passengers in an aisle seat fared worse in previous accidents, with a 44 percent fatality rate. The aisle is presumably more dangerous as those passengers can be hit by airborne objects and the contents of overhead bins.

There’s more to safety than your seat

While the middle seat in the back of the plane is statistically the safest, seat selection alone is a probability—not a guarantee—when it comes to safety because each incident is unique.

Despite this uncertainty, it’s important to keep in mind that the entire plane is designed to give you the best chance at survival, and that includes more than just your seat location. Over the years, aircraft manufacturers have learned from each event and improved plane designs in response. For example, the location of the fuel tanks and how the wings were designed were contributing factors to the 100 percent survivor rate in the recent Delta crash in Toronto.

As for the plane seat itself, federal regulations dictate specific design requirements to ensure passenger safety during irregular operation. This includes headrests that absorb energy and support the head and spine as well as the requirement to keep all objects that someone could fall against padded or out of the way. These factors, plus seatbelts and crew member instructions, work together to ensure the safety of all passengers, regardless of where they are seated. 

So, when choosing your plane seat, consider safety, but also feel free to think about legroom and other amenities, such as the location of the restroom and whether you enjoy the scenic views afforded by a window seat or the convenience of the aisle. Selecting your seat is one of the few things you can control on your flight. The overall goal is to make your travels both safe and enjoyable.