Travel News

Lion Air’s Hard Landing & When You Can Survive a Plane Crash

On Saturday, a Lion Air 737 missed the runway and crash-landed into the water. All 108 passengers and crew survived the hard landing. This incident is the sixth accident for the airline since 2002. It is also the third crash-landing for a 737 since 2009. Heavy rains and winds are looking to be the main factor in this incident where the pilot missed the runway.

So what does it take to survive a crash? Whenever there is a landing where the forces are less than 16g, that landing is often survivable. In addition, a crash can be survived when there are no fires or smoke. Bottom line: passengers can often sustain the impact of the crash, but are overcome by the toxic fumes created by the smoke and the fire.

In the case of Lion Air, the National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to Bali, Indonesia to investigate. This is another black mark on the airline, whose rapid expansion has had it and other Indonesian Airlines banned by the EU. Peter joins the team at CBS This Morning to look at the potential causes for the crash, if pilot error can be blamed, and what lessons can be taken away from this incident.