Ask HN: On the Boeing flight, was it a good idea to move away from hole? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: On the Boeing flight, was it a good idea to move away from hole?

2 pointsjvans3 comments

It was reported that a 15 year old was in the window seat and his mother had them unbuckle and move away from the hole after pressure stabilized[1].

> she took off her mask so her seatmate could hear her and said “on the count of three I’m going to unbuckle him. We’re going to pull him out.

Was this the right decision?

On the one hand I could see how you would be concerned about more structural damage around the area. On the other, if the plane turns or you trip, there's a good chance you fall out. Would it have been safer to stay buckled in the seat?

[1]https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/when-hole-opened-on-alaska-flight-1282-a-mom-held-tight-to-her-son/

Everyone lived, so in that sense the mother and teenager made a right decision. Other decisions may have led to the same outcome, or different outcomes.

Your question asks about risk, and the worst kind of risk, namely death of a child. Imagining myself, as a parent, in that situation I would want to move myself and my child away from the structural damage. The small one-time risk of unbuckling and moving away from the hole -- with a deadly but unlikely worst-case -- seems lower than staying near the hole, accepting an unknown risk for an unknown length of time. In other words I can reasonably predict the likelihood of successfully moving a teenager to safety in that situation, whereas I can't reasonably predict the likelihood of more structural damage, or some other threat posed by a hole in the fuselage.

Every situation is different. So every situation may entail a different decision for a particular outcome.

Example: The car seatbelts save lives is a general rule. On the other hand a car seatbelt will prevent you from getting away from a car on fire, or a car sinking into a river.

Keep your seatbelt on is the number one rule. Do that and you’ll continue to live through your flights. I’m willing to put money on that frankly

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