Plane seat location critical in emergencies as experts warn row position impacts survival odds

29 Mar 2026 By foxnews

In the wake of the recent deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport that killed both pilots and injured dozens of passengers, questions about airline safety are once again on people's minds.

The aircraft, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, struck a Port Authority vehicle while landing Sunday night.

As investigators continue to piece together what went wrong, many travelers are discussing whether seat location can influence passenger safety and survival.

AIRLINES TOLD TO REEVALUATE EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURES AFTER CARRY-ON CONCERNS

Daniel Bubb, a former airline pilot and commercial aviation expert at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Fox News Digital there is no guarantee about the safest seat on an airplane.

He also said some seats could be better than others.

"Sitting toward the back of the plane gives passengers the best chance of survival," said Bubb. "This is because the front and middle parts absorb most of the impact if it is a head-on collision, as was the case of the Jazz Air crash at LGA."

He went on, "In this crash, we saw the front of the aircraft absorb most of the impact. Perhaps what was an anomaly - but thank goodness miraculous - was the flight attendant, who was seated in her jumpseat with her seat belt and harness on, surviving the crash when she was ejected 300 feet."

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Motley Rice aviation attorney Jim Brauchle, based in South Carolina, told Fox News Digital the safest location in an emergency evacuation would first be the emergency exit row.

Then, he said, the closer passengers are seated toward an exit, the quicker they'll be able to evacuate.

"In the event of an evacuation, it's important not to retrieve your personal belongings," said Rice. "In many of the recent evacuations, we continually see people evacuating with their carry-on bags."

Travelers, he said, should carefully consider which shoes they are wearing.

"People should wear comfortable footwear when flying, preferably closed toe - and high heels are not conducive to an emergency evacuation."

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Though most airline passengers zone out "when the crew is going over their emergency instructions at the beginning of a flight, it is important to note the closest exit and also the next closest exit, should the primary exit be blocked," said Brauchle.

In 2015, Time magazine reviewed aircraft accidents that involved fatalities and survivors over the previous 35 years.

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The publication's analysis showed that seats in the rear third of the plane had a 32% fatality rate, compared with 39% in the middle section and 38% in the front.

It also found that middle seats in the rear offered a 28% fatality rate, which was the highest survival rate.

Aisle seats in the middle section had the poorest outcomes - with a 44% fatality rate.