Some airlines adding airbags to first-class seats
Beginning October 27, many planes could be quite a bit safer in the event of a crash. New government regulations are forcing all planes to have sturdier "16G" seats that will stay bolted to the floor in the event of an impact 16-times the force of gravity. The seats have been present in all planes designed and produced after 1988, but older planes with 9G seats will be replaced. The 9G seats could rip apart from the floor even in crashes where the plane skid off the runway; killing or severely injuring some passengers secured with the 16G seats. The seat sturdiness will remain at 16G, as scientists say stronger forces are not survivable.
Another technological improvement in airline safety is the introduction of airbags. The airbag tech is lifted directly from automobiles, and they're designed to go off only in the event of an impact, however, turbulence won't trigger the devices. The airbags are built into the lap belt and the employment will be in first class where the distance between seats is greater than in coach. In coach, airbags will be used in front rows, exit rows and bulkhead seats.
[Source: Engadget, New York Times]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Berto 7:35AM (7/02/2009)
Screw the airbag. If I am on an airplane spiraling straight down to the ground I could care less about an airbag.
Pass me a bottle of Scotch and I am good.
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Jsams4131 10:35AM (7/02/2009)
haha liquor FTW!.
An airbag in an airplane...seems more like a feature that would just make passengers "feel better" about getting into a crash more than anything...
Airplanes are extremely safe given their safety records.....but when something happens..your f*cked
Valentino Amoro 5:04PM (7/02/2009)
LOL! I would settle for a bottle myself.
Drink it in 0G while falling.
That said, I wonder why manufacturers don’t come up with a system to slow the plane down visa drag and parachute it down after jettisoning the wings. It would save a lot of lives in accidents I've studied. Of course, there's the cost and weight, especially of increasing the structures strength to take deceleration from 300-500mph, but I personally would be FAR more comfortable knowing that the metal hulk I'm flying if disabled can actually have a better chance. Some smaller planes have this system (granted its much easier on those) and it has saved many lives, especially in panic situations when the pilot was compromised.
MKIV 7:21PM (7/02/2009)
Guess it's the difference between a close or open casket.
I could give a lick about the airbags. Give me a parachute instead.
Gardiner Westbound 7:38AM (7/02/2009)
Sounds like first class passengers' lives are more valuable than the peons in coach.
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Berto 7:54AM (7/02/2009)
Actually, it appears that First Class passengers are less likely to survive, therefore, they might need the extra "protection" more:
"Those with seats in coach areas over and forward of the wings survived 56 percent of the time, and passengers in first class and business class had a 49 percent survival rate..." - aviation writer David Noland
http://news.aol.com/article/surviving-plane-crashes/551813?icid=main|main|dl1|link2|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fsurviving-plane-crashes%2F551813
Berto 7:57AM (7/02/2009)
And:
"Passengers in seats behind the wings had a 69 percent survival rate in crashes that included at least one fatality, Noland wrote."
Texrob 9:13AM (7/02/2009)
No, sounds like autoblog specifically titled this article to make people think that, when the reality is much less sinister. Great work AB, sensationalism at it's finest.
AutoCritical 9:52AM (7/02/2009)
I was going to mention the same thing as Berto. besides the issues with noise, perhaps they should have first class at the back, and coach at the front...!
Erik 10:24AM (7/02/2009)
Oh get real man. How "valuable your life is" is entirely up to you. If you are paranoid enough to worry about it, you can pay extra to sit up front. First class is open to anyone who want s to buy a ticket. If you would rather take the cash savings, sit in the back. It's your chioce. Don't try to say the airline is doing anything wrong here.
tuxchown 12:41PM (7/02/2009)
Gardiner - The lives of the wealthy have always been worth more than the lives of the rest of us.
evaristo.jo 7:40AM (7/02/2009)
because you know, adding 100+ air bags worth of weight on a flight will not increase fuel consumption at all and they also won't raise the prices on passengers for flights.
Also 100+ explosives charges are totally safe 30,000 ft up.
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Jon 8:13AM (7/02/2009)
I flew on Cathay Pacific last year and I saw this airbag device fitted on all the seats' seatbelts... even in economy. It's not that comfortable to wear this brick on your lap but hey... it saves lives.
I presume in the event of an accident that thing will make a huge white pillow between the occupants' abdomens and the seats in front.
Weird but here's how it looks:
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/4167/dsc09707.jpg
Erik 10:27AM (7/02/2009)
Amen. Exactly what I was thinking. Tickets are expesive enough already.
Jon 11:17AM (7/02/2009)
do the maths:
each airbag unit (see picture in post above) I guess they weigh about 500g.
times that by 250 seats you get 125kg. That is not a lot of kilograms and is really insignificant for airbag installation in seats to fuel consumption, considering a plane that weighs tonnes already.
given that these seatbelt airbags are fitted to newer seat designs, which I presume are lighter, would neglect the extra weight you were talking about.
and besides, you don't see car airbags randomly "explode" when you drive down the road as they're pretty inert until triggered. it's as safe (or dangerous) as fitted in cars. doesn't matter if it's 10000m up in the air. The fuselage is pressurised to around 2000m atmospheric pressure.
chconline 11:55AM (7/02/2009)
The biggest issue with airplanes with regards to fuel consumption is not necessarily weight, but more of aerodynamic drag. A few hundred kilograms won't hurt when you can just carry one less fat guy and his luggage -- heck, even the paint on an aircraft weighs upwards of 300 pounds.
JS 8:01AM (7/02/2009)
Slow news day guys?
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MajorGeek 8:31AM (7/02/2009)
Man, this is just what I need when I pass out drunk on the plane!
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Vetmstr 8:41AM (7/02/2009)
this is a waste of resources. If a plane crashes everyone DIES except the extremely rare instance where one person lives or that fluke in NYC where that great pilot landded on water
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adrenalnjunky 12:01PM (7/02/2009)
You obviously haven't bothered to actually research plane crash statistics, and are pulling your info from thin air. In major crashes and impacts, where the pilots can still attempt to land, or set up for a proper crash-landing it is still very survivable in many instances - that's due to the design of the airplane, the skill and training of the pilots, and barring catastrohic failures (most likely what happened to the Air France flight a few weeks back).
Sioux City Iowa - United flight 232 in 1989. 185 survived, after this landing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoCYkU6_vOM&feature=related