MEL_Traveller
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2005
- Posts
- 29,987
I always thought the "grab your ankles" thing was to try to ensure you are doubled over as far as possible, to try to prevent submarining under the lap belt, or reducing the impact of your face onto your knees in the event of a survivable crash? Obviously if you hit the ground at several hundred KM/H it also doubles as enabling you to kiss your cough goodbye....
Probably nothing is going to save you in free-fall from 30,000 feet*, but otherwise your chances are pretty good these days.
*with one possible exception of the flight attendant who survived a mid air breakup, although the facts have recently been called into question in that the aircraft may have been flying much lower than first thought at the time of the break-up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAT_Flight_367