How fast can a plane fall?

A: A busted plane in one piece is likely to glide up to 100 miles from 30,000 ft. A plane in pieces falls with a speed related to its weight and its surface area. A piece that has a square foot of surface for each 45 pounds of weight is likely to fall at about 120 mph; slower if it flutters.



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Technically this is the so-called 'stall speed', where air passes over the wings fast enough to sustain altitude, and for small planes this can be less than 50km/h (31mph). But at such low speeds, the aircraft is easily destabilised, and could fail to leave the runway.

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Over the course of less than six minutes, the plane descended 18,000 feet, ultimately moving from flying at 30,000 feet to a level closer to 10,000 feet.

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A rough estimate of the probability of an airplane going down due to an emergency is about 1 in 11 million, meaning it would take us quite a few lifetimes before actually experiencing a plane crash. That's a whopping 0.00001% chance that something will go terribly wrong on your flight.

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Roughly, there are between 70-90 plane crashes per year worldwide, including both commercial planes and privately-owned ones. Human error, mechanical failure, and poor weather conditions are some of the most common factors that contribute to plane crashes.

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Although people do survive, your chances aren't very good, Hamilton says, so it's better to avoid the situation entirely. In the end, the best way to survive a tumble out of an airplane may be to wear a parachute.

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Severe turbulence can cause a plane to drop so suddenly that pilots temporarily lose control. But, again, that's not enough to crash the plane. That's not to say it's never happened. In 1966, human error and turbulence combined to bring a plane down over Mount Fuji.

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When an aircraft experiences turbulence, the plane can drop or change altitude suddenly. This is why pilots always caution passengers to buckle up and stay seated when they are experiencing flight turbulence. The sudden movements put passengers at risk.

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Turbulence from Convection Currents and Obstructions. Convection currents cause the bumpiness experienced by pilots flying at low altitudes in warmer weather. On a low flight over varying surfaces, the pilot will encounter updrafts over pavement or barren places and downdraft over vegetation and water.

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At times like this, pilots will slow to a designated “turbulence penetration speed” to ensure high-speed buffet protection (don't ask) and prevent damage to the airframe. We can also request higher or lower altitudes, or ask for a revised routing.

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You are scared of all those “what ifs” which we encounter when we are nervous. There is more risk in a take-off than landing. The aircraft is heavy with fuel & has no speed or altitude, whereas, in landing the aircraft is light, has tons of speed & is already flying.

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Technically, no. Day/night has nothing to do with it. If anything, pilots that are flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) might opt to fly higher than during the day to improve their odds and better avoid inadvertently flying near terrain or obstructions that are less visible.

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Night flying restrictions or night-time curfews, including night flight bans, are any regulations or legislation imposed by a governing body to limit the ground-perceived exposure to aircraft noise pollution during the night hours, when the majority of residents are trying to sleep.

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Flying is still the safest way to travel long-distance, according to the International Air Transport Association. Aircraft accidents and fatalities are less common than car, truck, motorcycle, train, and bus accidents.

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Turbulence, associated with thunderstorms, can be extremely hazardous, having the potential to cause overstressing of the aircraft or loss of control.

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From a practical point, no, a modern airliner will not lose a wing due to turbulence. Modern airlines are very tough and designed to withstand extreme turbulence. In theory, it might be possible. But to my knowledge, it has not happened to any jet airliner.

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Usually the pilots will leave the autopilot engaged. In small airplanes with limited autopilots, it is better to fly manually, but with more sophisticated airplanes the autopilot is a valid option in turbulence. Severe turbulence is actually very rare.

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Airplane accidents are 95% survivable. Here are seven ways to increase those odds even more.

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