Survivors of a plane crash. Real stories. How to survive in a plane crash? Air crash survivors. Your plane is threatened by a flock of birds

Flying for the first time, worried? Do you know why they ask you to fasten your seat belts and forbid taking pictures on the plane?

In this article, I will tell you in detail about the basic rules of conduct on board an aircraft, explain what certain requirements of flight attendants are connected with and why it is so important to comply with them, and also answer the question “What can / cannot be done on an airplane?” .

On any plane civil aviation the first and most important person is aircraft captain/commander(abbreviated - FAC). The PIC is personally responsible for everything that happens on board: for flight safety, for making decisions about landing, takeoff, fuel draining in flight, baggage drop, forced landing, etc.

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, and also of other countries, the PIC has the right to give orders to any person on board the aircraft, passenger or crew member, as well as to demand their execution. For disobeying orders, you are in for big trouble with the police on the ground. Second pilot assists the commander in piloting the aircraft.

In the cabin of the aircraft, a team of stewards, flight attendants, led by senior flight attendant. The chief flight attendant is the deputy PIC in the cabin of the aircraft (aircraft).

Some passengers have an erroneous opinion about the role of flight attendants, who consider them to be something between waitresses and, excuse me, girls of easy virtue. Dear friends, flight attendants are really responsible for the service, your comfort during the flight and perform passenger service work.

But, Firstly, these are the people who monitor the safety of the flight, they are always ready to help in case of emergency situation on board, and in case of emergency, save your life. They have a difficult job with big amount stress, remember this, and please treat them with respect and a smile.

Takeoff and landing of the aircraft. What should the passenger do?

According to the statistics of all aviation accidents, overwhelming majority accidents for aircraft takeoff and landing. All this is connected with proximity to the earth and lack of time to make some important decisions.

Moreover, if during takeoff the plane picks up speed, accelerates and moves away from the surface, and the farther and higher, the safer, then during landing, the plane approaches the ground, the speed drops and this is a very crucial moment.

What should the passenger do at this time?

It's simple - follow the standard flight attendant command:

Ladies and gentlemen, we are preparing for takeoff and we ask you to turn off all electronic devices, remove the folding table, return the seat to an upright position, open the window shade and fasten your seat belts tightly!

Now I will tell you in detail why all this is needed and why it is VERY IMPORTANT to fulfill this request.

• turning off mobile phones on the plane

Imagine a situation when an airplane takes off, say 1 km from the ground, when 300 phones simultaneously start looking for a network where it simply does not exist. It can really turn out some kind of porridge from the magnetic field. And if so far there have been no precedents, this does not mean that there is no likelihood of their occurrence. Therefore, be responsible, turn off your phones or put them in Airplane mode. Don't take risks.

• seat backs in upright position

In the event of an emergency, the lowered back of your seat may block the passage of passengers sitting behind you.

• fasten the belt, assemble the table

In the event of an emergency braking, hard landing or aborted takeoff, you may lose your seat and fly forward through the cabin or hit your head on a disassembled table. Also, it is desirable that during takeoff and landing you do not have heavy objects in your hands. Do not hold it and this thing will fly like a brick, forward over the heads of passengers. Related to this is the ban on photography and video filming during these phases of the flight.

• open window blinds

First of all, this is due to the difference in lighting outside the aircraft and inside the cabin. If twilight reigns in the cabin, and the sun shines brightly outside, then during an emergency evacuation, blinding for a few precious seconds is guaranteed. The same is true if there is a bright light in the cabin and it is night outside. Therefore, on night flights, the lights are dimmed during landing so that the eyes adapt.

Secondly, in the event of an emergency, such as an engine fire, the passenger can see this and inform the flight attendant.

• It is not recommended to listen to loud music with headphones

If you are using the aircraft entertainment system, it will turn off during takeoff and landing, this is due to the fact that the passenger may be distracted and not hear important message and flight attendant teams.

Climb and descent. Turbulence and air pockets

During climb and descent, an aircraft passes through the first layer of our atmosphere, the troposphere. This is such an environment where air turbulent flows are highly developed, clouds of various types arise, cyclones and anticyclones develop. It is during this phase of the flight that aircraft"turbulence" is felt most strongly. What does this mean and what to do?

This means that getting into the eddy turbulent currents, the aircraft can shake and "talk" up and down, left and right. In pilots' slang, "turbulence" is just "chatter".

Sometimes such shaking can be very strong and prolonged, especially when the flight takes place in difficult weather conditions: thunderstorms, fog, heavy clouds, wind, etc. In this case, the PIC or the Chief Flight Attendant announces that the aircraft has entered a zone of severe turbulence and asks everyone to take their seats and fasten their seat belts.

You should not panic in this situation, even when it shakes very strongly, and looking out the window, it seems that the wings will just fall off from the vibration. This is a common practice that, to one degree or another, all aircraft face. You just have to take your seat, buckle up and wait out the chatter. The larger the aircraft, the less turbulence and vice versa.

As for the feeling that the wings are about to fall off (I often come across this question) - do not worry, in the entire history of aviation, there have never been such cases on production aircraft. Wings are tested at much higher loads, and the swaying of the wing indicates its correct and normal operation, under conditions of variable loads and diverse pressures.

Level flight

When the aircraft has gained altitude, taken its level and flies in a horizontal plane, this is the most calm and pleasant time of flight. Modern passenger liners they fly in the lower layer of the stratosphere, at an altitude of 10-12 km, high above the clouds, where almost no weather conditions are felt, there are no birds, they don’t block their ears and don’t bother at all. You can get up from your seat, stretch your stiff limbs and do whatever you want on the plane: sleep, eat, work, watch movies, listen to music, play on your laptop, read. In general, relax and enjoy the flight.

Although sometimes turbulence is felt in level flight, especially when flying over the Atlantic.

If you have a long flight ahead, take a book or tablet with you, you can use the in-flight entertainment system, the latest long-haul liners are equipped with a personal screen for each passenger with a wide selection of movies, music files and so on.

Landing. Braking. Taxiing

Editorial Arrivo prepared 7 important tips for 7 dangerous situations.

Fight on board

Fights on board the aircraft have become a common occurrence, both among our compatriots and among foreign tourists. This is explained, as a rule, by the fact that many people get drunk at the airport in order to allay the fear of flying or simply reduce the waiting time. Once in a confined space, someone just falls asleep, while someone begins to look for reasons for conflict.

The most dangerous thing on board is a group of fans who strive to get the maximum adrenaline and, along with fights, arrange a “pitching”, that is, they rush from one side to another. If there are less than 30 people, it is not dangerous, otherwise the balance of the aircraft may be disturbed.

• Having witnessed a fight on board, first of all, you need to remain calm.
• All foreign airlines have so-called "marshals" in their crews - large stewards who do a much better job of pacifying violent passengers than distributing sandwiches.
• But in domestic companies there is no such position, so men should be ready to help the flight attendant if necessary.

Turbulence zone and air pockets

Turbulence refers to the mixing of several air streams with different temperatures and density, as a result of which the aircraft can instantly descend or rise by several tens of meters. Most often, this happens at an altitude of more than six thousand meters, during a flight over the city, sandy beach or a lake, the surface of which is heated unevenly.

When an aircraft falls into a large air pocket, all objects in the cabin and not properly fixed, soar up sharply and then fall on those sitting. In addition, if you do not buckle up, you can get bruised or even fractured by hitting during the shaking that usually happens when passing through a turbulence zone.

• When boarding a plane, make sure that there are no heavy or sharp objects, loose luggage nearby.
• Even a pen in a jacket pocket can become dangerous, so it's best to pack it in a bag.
• In addition, be sure to buckle up, and if you get into a turbulence zone, group yourself as indicated in the passenger memo.

Airplane fire

It is not uncommon for passengers themselves to be responsible for a fire on an airplane, carelessly handling fire or smoking on board. True, a fire can occur during takeoff or landing, and then the passenger has no more than three minutes to get out of the plane.

• First of all, remember that the plane is a huge flying fuel truck, and it is strictly forbidden to use lighters or smoke on board.
• If a fire while on runway has already begun, try to leave the cabin as soon as possible.
• To do this, when landing, remember where the emergency exits are located, count how many rows of seats there are from you to the exit, in order to orient yourself even by touch.
• Don't inhale the smoke, walk bent over or on all fours, put on a coat or jacket, and get rid of synthetics in your clothes (including tights), because when melted, they cause the most severe burns.
• You should not take off your shoes, except for stilettos when entering the inflatable ladder, and even those should be held in your hands so that you can immediately put on shoes on the ground and not step on broken glass or plastic.

Decompression

Decompression, unlike most air accidents, happens very quickly and, although it seems frightening, is not a cause for panic. The loud noise that accompanies the release of air from the cabin can scare, but this is not the most dangerous. The plane quickly fills with fog and dust, it becomes difficult to breathe, there is ringing in the ears. At this point, the most important thing is not to panic, but to put on an oxygen mask and securely fasten it so that it does not fall off, even with a possible pitching or loss of consciousness. Know that the crew will immediately begin to correct the situation, and the aircraft will descend sharply until the pressure in the cabin and outside equalize, and then an emergency landing will be made at the nearest airport.

• At the first sign of decompression, put on your oxygen mask and then help those around you.
• Even if there is a child nearby, take care of yourself first, otherwise you may pass out and leave him without help.

Takeoff and landing accidents

It is not for nothing that flight attendants ask passengers to fasten their seat belts and raise their seat backs during takeoff and landing. The most unexpected accidents occur during these periods of flight.

• First of all, you should not rely only on the instructions of the crew.
• If you notice that the flight is going wrong (the plane is descending sharply, one of the engines has died down, or there is smoke in the cabin), buckle up, group up and get ready for an emergency landing, during which severe overloads are inevitable.
• As soon as the plane stops, passengers will be evacuated. At this point, you should not succumb to panic, but you need to do everything as quickly as possible.

Aircraft landing in strong side wind

Hijacking

Cases of aircraft hijacking are extremely rare, however, they quickly become known to the whole world. And although the chance that the Moscow-Antalya flight will be hijacked is negligible, it is still better to know the basic rules of behavior and survival in such situations.

• Do not stand out among other passengers, fulfill all the requirements of the criminals, and then the release groups.
• Perform any action (going to the toilet, opening luggage) only after receiving permission.
• During the assault, try to sit or lie down on the floor or hide behind the back of a chair, do not express your attitude towards the invaders and do not try to deal with them yourself.
• After your release, be prepared for the fact that for the next few hours you will have to continuously answer questions from the police and law enforcement agencies.

Water landing

IN emergency cases the plane can land on the water, but this does not mean that casualties are inevitable, since all aircraft are prepared for this. The ship can stay afloat for up to 40 minutes, and during this time everyone has time to leave it. In addition, modern aircraft are equipped with life jackets and life rafts that self-inflate in one minute.

• Before departure, find out in what position the aircraft is kept afloat - horizontally, with the tail lowered into the water or the bow. Based on this, plan which exit you will need to move to.
• After landing, start with the help of the stewards to launch self-inflating rafts. If the raft does not start to inflate by itself, pull the handle of the air supply system located on the side of the raft.

Another video of a plane landing on the island of St. Martin

It is clear that the desire of the buyer is the law for any seller ... However, these rules can only be applied in everyday "terrestrial" life. In the sky, however, things are quite different. Buying air tickets means taking on a number of obligations and agreements: do not smoke, do not drink excessive alcohol, do not distract the crew of the aircraft for no reason, behave calmly even in case of general excitement, and also do not try to leave the plane during the flight :)

However, no one imposed a ban on requests ... It is they who are sometimes more difficult than the crying of a capricious child.

The most common strange requests from passengers are “where can I take a shower?”, “how to reduce engine noise?”, “Is there a McDonald's here” and “in the end, open the window and ventilate the cabin!”.

Some passengers ask flight attendants to tell the pilot to "stop the turbulence."

One day, a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant was asked to bring tea and massage a Barbie doll. And another passenger asked to take her children to the nursery.

One of the passengers turned to the stewardess with a very urgent problem: could she help find the glass eye he had lost in the cabin.

One day, a VIP passenger in business class asked a flight attendant to fix her hair. The strangest thing is that the stewardess was not at all embarrassed. She took hair styling products, a comb from colleagues and fully satisfied the request of the passenger.

However, the most interesting situations occur during incidents involving "firewater".

The most "pleasant" surprises are arranged by drunken women. So, a 25-year-old English teacher grabbed one of the crew members by the crotch and demanded sex, and a drunken Russian woman staged a striptease, after which the plane returned back. Apparently, the striptease was not appreciated :) But one American, after another glass, broke it and began to threaten the crew with a “rose”, which resulted in her imprisonment.

Moreover, not only ordinary people are naughty, but also famous personalities ... So, on one of the AirFrance flights, the actor Gerard Depardieu, who was pretty drunk, decided to relieve himself right in the aisle between the seats. So did the 18-year-old skier, the sporting hope of skiing, who was expelled from the U.S. Youth Team because of it. After several such cases, it was decided to put drinking passengers at the aisle in close proximity to the toilets.

It should be remembered that on airplanes you should not even make fun of everything related to terrorism. So, for example, a retired Australian, Riccardo Paulin, was looking for a place to put his luggage, and humorously asked a Singaporean steward: “Where do you store bombs here?” The joke was not well received. For his part, the Australian made every possible apology, explaining that it was just a harmless joke. However, the Singapore court sentenced Riccardo Paulina to a fine of $6,500.

It was much more difficult in the situation with German tourist, which in literally words smelt the interior of the airliner. Because of the unbearable smell of sweat, he had to be thrown off the plane. Photographer by nature, obese 46-year-old Werner Brechtfield spent all day in Honolulu in the hot sun looking for photographic landscapes. And when he arrived at the airport, he “reeked like a lathered horse” (according to the German media). All the passengers and crew of the plane expressed their remarks to him about this. However, the man did not have a change of clothes, so he was dropped from the airliner.

The oddity of many passengers is their superstitions. So, for example, 62-year-old American James Steenhagen is absolutely sure that the plane moves thanks to his fingers, which he rotates during the flight, increasing the rotation speed in proportion to the speed of the engines. Another couple always raises their legs in time with the retracting of the landing gear. They believe that in this way they help the liner get off the ground. 53-year-old Thomas Harding, for the same purpose, rises on the armrests of the chair. And Michael Conesco believes that the plane will not crash if he listens to Bonnie Wright songs during the flight, so when buying plane tickets, he always puts a player in his luggage first.

No matter how strange and awkward the situations with passengers on board may seem, this is still the part of the flight that will be remembered the most, and for a long time you will remember with a smile that bad-smelling passenger who frantically searched for McDonald’s on board your airliner :)

Fly smiling!

01

Why is it forbidden to use electronics on an airplane during takeoff and landing? Even with your phone in airplane mode? Even the player to listen to?

So all the same: do you need to applaud when touching the landing gear of the runway?

Why do flight attendants pester me all the time with requests to raise the curtains of the windows? Do they affect anything?

What if a person dies on board? Where is the body taken?

Where does airplane food? After all, I never found a kitchen on board. Where is it stored, how long does it lie?

Why can't you smoke during the flight? Just a health issue?

Movies often show how, on advice from the ground, random passengers land the plane. It's all computer controlled!

Fight for a place

Economy class is not the best comfortable place. There is a piggy way to improve it a bit.

On the Internet, you can easily find a gadget called Knee Defender. These are locks that are put on the dining table and do not allow the chair in front to recline.

There are disputes about the ethical side of the device, because comfort is achieved by causing inconvenience to another passenger. At the same time, the Knee Defender does not violate any flight rules: its use on board is not prohibited. True, in August last year, the flight Newark - Denver made emergency landing in Chicago, it was the fault of the gadget: the passengers quarreled and almost got into a fight because of it. If you decide to buy - this thing costs about 1100 rubles.

08

I looked out the window and saw that the wing on my side was swaying strangely. Is this the end or do modern planes flap their wings to fly?

How does an airplane toilet work? Is it really, like in Soviet trains, that everything is immediately dumped?

During a transatlantic flight, screens in the cabin show a map with a flight path and a funny airplane. Why do we fly in an arc and not directly? Also faster!

Why in airplanes of the same model, but different airlines economy class can be completely different cramped?

Is it possible for a pilot to cheat medical control before a flight and board the flight drunk?

The cabin of our aircraft was decorated for the New Year with Christmas decorations. Are they special?

Is it true that during long flights aircraft engines are periodically turned off and the aircraft simply glides for some time?

Ok, we seem to be falling. Am I lucky? Which compartment passengers have more chances for survival?

If the pilot is fenced off by an impenetrable door from the cabin, how does he communicate with the crew?

Is it true that you can learn how to fly an airplane by playing computer simulators like Microsoft Flight Simulator?

In case of aircraft and helicopter accidents, there are several main types emergencies and therefore, for the sake of personal safety, each passenger is obliged to carefully read the leaflet on the rules of conduct on board the aircraft and rescue in the event of an accident during takeoff or landing.

In addition, he must listen to the flight attendant's instructions on the use of oxygen masks and the location of emergency exits from the aircraft of this design.

Most air passengers during an accident, instead of using spare emergency exits, fall into a panic and arrange a stampede at the main entrances and exits. If you need to leave the aircraft on an inflatable ladder or from the wing of the aircraft, then to increase the speed of exit, you need to jump onto the ladder or onto the ground, and not try to sit down and slide down.

The jump will save you up to half a minute of time, which is very important in case of an aircraft fire or an explosion threat. Injuries and their severity during an unsuccessful takeoff or landing depend on the severity of the impact. Passengers are especially injured when their seat belts are not fastened. In this case, even a "conditionally soft landing" will entail fractures, bruises, dislocations and injuries, as the person will be thrown out of the chair into the cabin.

Emergency situations in the cabin

Decompression

Decompression is associated with the rapid release of air from the cabin of the aircraft. Decompression is accompanied by a deafening roar and whistle of escaping air. The salon is filled with fog and dust, visibility drops sharply.

Air comes out of a person's lungs, there is a ringing in the ears, gases in the intestines expand, and this creates additional, sharp pain. To avoid death from suffocation and rupture of the lungs, it is necessary in the very first seconds of decompression to put on an oxygen mask located near each seat.

Poorly worn or simply pressed against the nose and mouth oxygen mask does not always save from loss of consciousness, so it must be put on. To help a passenger sitting next to you or your relative, you must first put on a mask for yourself. Otherwise, both of you can die, left without oxygen!
The action of the aircraft crew is an immediate descent to an altitude of less than 3000 m, at which the oxygen content is considered almost normal.

An aircraft fire can occur for several reasons. One of them is the ignition of one or more engines. In this case, through the windows you can see the flames escaping from the engines or turbines on the wing of the aircraft, and at the very beginning of the fire, a thick black smoky plume emanating from them. Such a fire is associated with violations and serious malfunctions in the operation of aircraft engines and, as a rule, leads to engine shutdown and forced landing.

In another case, a fire may occur due to negligence in handling fire in the aircraft cabin. Modern aircraft made not only of aluminum, they carry a significant amount of synthetic and other flammable substances, such as plastic, foam rubber, polystyrene and others. These materials are dangerous not only because of their increased flammability, when burning or smoldering, they emit toxic substances, which, together with the fire, spread very quickly through the cabin, and a lot of thick black smoke is released, which makes breathing difficult and contributes to loss of orientation.

In the event of a fire in the aircraft engines or inside the cabin, the crew makes an emergency landing. In this case, the main thing is not to create panic, but in an organized manner after the plane stops, go to the main or emergency exits, observing the established order (children, pregnant women, the disabled, then everyone else). In case of fire inside the aircraft cabin, heading to the main or emergency exits, the following rules must be observed:

in no case do not open the emergency exit hatches from the aircraft where there is fire and smoke - this will only increase the fire and smoke in the aircraft cabin;
do not take hand luggage with you - this will complicate your situation and lead to the loss of precious time; try not to breathe the poisonous smoke (often yellow from burning plastic), cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief or piece of clothing.
In a smoky aircraft cabin, it is better to crawl to the exit or on all fours, since there is less smoke below. Remember: smoke is more dangerous than fire! protect your skin from burns by wrapping yourself in clothes and wearing a hat, protect your eyes, face and hands from burns; do not stand in a long queue at the exit - there are other emergency exits;
if the passage is littered, then get over the chairs, lowering their backs;

The most important thing is to follow all the instructions prescribed by the flight rules and not cause a fire yourself.

takeoff accident

This is perhaps the most dangerous type of accident, since the aircraft has a full load of fuel during takeoff, which can explode or ignite on impact. In addition, a takeoff crash is a possible engine failure at low altitude, causing the aircraft to crash violently. In such a situation, it is almost impossible to survive, although in world practice there are cases of saving one or even several people who miraculously survived.

Emergency landing

During a forced landing, an airplane or helicopter can crash into trees, a rock, split in half, catch fire and explode. In case of announcement emergency landing you need to take a safe, fixed posture.

bend over and tightly clasp your hands under your knees;
put your head on your knees or tilt as low as possible;
rest your feet on the floor, pushing them as far as possible (but not under the chair in front of you!);
at the moment of impact, you need to prepare for strong overloads, which can have a different direction (both down and up), so you need to strain as much as possible, as the athletes say, to group.

The crew of the aircraft must:

immediately evacuate all passengers and crew members to a safe place;
take with you group and individual emergency rescue equipment;
provide the first necessary medical care passengers and crew members;
prepare emergency radio stations for operation and transmit a disaster message; determine your location;
prepare signal visual means for use (signal mirror, bonfires, signal signs);
prepare a landing site for a rescue helicopter.

All the work listed above must be supervised by the aircraft commander or, in case of his injury, death, one of the crew members. After assessing the situation, the aircraft commander or the person replacing him makes appropriate decisions. He distributes duties between the crew members and the most active passengers who did not succumb to panic and decadent moods.

Their task is to organize a temporary camp, shelter from adverse weather conditions, campfire and cooking. It is most advisable for everyone to remain at the crash site or forced landing, which naturally facilitates the search and allows you to save the strength and health of people before the arrival of the rescue team. This decision is justified under the following circumstances:

when a distress call is transmitted by the crew in the air or immediately after landing;
if the place of landing is not exactly determined; if the terrain is unfamiliar and difficult to pass (mountains, taiga, deep snow, etc.);
when the direction to the nearest settlement is unknown;
If most of crew or passengers are injured and cannot move independently.

When deciding to stay at the emergency landing site, the pilot-in-command or a crew member replacing him, in the first place:

establishes a round-the-clock duty for air and the surrounding area in order to detect rescue groups and give them a signal in a timely manner;
organizes the care of the sick and wounded;
takes account of all available property and food and establishes the norms for their expenditure;
organizes the construction of shelters from adverse weather conditions;
organizes the search for water and the extraction of food, using local opportunities (picking berries, mushrooms, edible plants, fishing and hunting);
carries out the prevention of possible diseases associated with poisoning and various diseases.

The decision to leave the place of forced landing is made:

if the exact location of the emergency landing and the distance to the nearest locality small;
if the state of health of crew members and passengers allows to overcome this distance during daylight hours;
in the event of an immediate threat to life (flood, fire, volcanic eruption, ice field break, etc.);
if the aircraft and people cannot be detected from the air by a rescue helicopter or aircraft due to dense vegetation;
if within three days there is no communication and assistance.

When making a decision to leave the place of emergency landing, the commander or crew member replacing him must:

allocate responsibilities;
distribute water and food among road users and establish daily norms for their consumption;
determine and, if possible, develop in detail the route of movement, put it on the map and determine the approximate time of movement by stages;
prepare necessary equipment, property and medicines that will provide autonomous movement in deserted areas;
prepare means of signaling and communication for the possibility of using them at any time during the movement; prepare victims for transportation or independent movement;
at the site of an accident or forced landing of an aircraft, leave a note with a detailed list of all crew members and passengers, indicate the circumstances of the accident (forced landing), the state of health of all crew members and passengers, the direction of movement, time of departure, lay out an arrow of stones or cut down trees, make notches in trees, etc. in the direction of the departure of the group.

Forced water landing

Forced landing of an aircraft on the water is quite rare, but often ends in serious injuries, death of passengers and crew. It should be remembered that the plane can splash down quite unexpectedly and sometimes so smoothly and imperceptibly for passengers that they will take it for a normal landing at the airport. But it can happen that during splashdown, when hitting the water, the plane falls apart and quickly sinks. Wherein:

there are no life jackets and inflatable rafts on the plane;
means of rescue are in one place and you will not be able to reach them during the time that the plane is afloat;
there was a panic and it was impossible to get to the life jackets; the water overboard is icy;
there is a storm on the sea, and the waves reach several meters high;
emergency landing occurred far from the coast in the open sea;
fuel spilled from the aircraft tanks into the water caught fire.

In addition, it should be remembered that although aircraft have some buoyancy, it all depends on what type of aircraft. If the engines are located on the wings - the aircraft will be in a horizontal position, if the engines are located in the tail of the aircraft, then it will float tail section down. Before sinking, the aircraft can be afloat from 10 to 40 minutes. But if his fuselage is damaged, then this time will be much less.

Crew actions

Launch all available life rafts (they inflate automatically when dropped, in winter this happens in 3 minutes, in summer in 1 minute).
If the rafts do not inflate automatically, then the halyard is pulled with a strong jerk, which leads to the cylinder of the gas filling system.
If time permits, take warm clothes on the raft, as well as an additional supply of food and water, regardless of the presence of an emergency supply on board the life raft.
Make sure no one is left on board the aircraft.
The command of passengers on life rafts is assumed by the commander of the aircraft, and in the event of his death - the senior in rank.
Upon completion of boarding the life rafts, immediately move away from the aircraft (helicopter) dive site to a safe distance, using oars and other available items for this. Then straighten and throw overboard a floating anchor, which will reduce the speed of drifting with the wind and will not allow the raft to go far from the accident site, which contributes to a faster search for it by rescuers. In addition, an oily stain remains at the accident site for a long time, which also facilitates the search.
If there are several rafts, they must be tied together with a rope at a distance of 10-15 m from each other.
Organize a search for people who can still remain in the water and take measures to get them on the raft.
Organize the collection of all items that are in the water, as they may be useful in the future.
If you have a radio, immediately send a distress signal and turn it on to beacon mode (instructions for using the emergency radio are printed on its body and no special skills are required to use it).

"Encyclopedia of Survival" Chernysh I.V.