The last thing you'd expect from an airline on social media would be a post about dying in plane crash. KLM India was forced to delete a tweet on Wednesday that laid out where the best seats are to survive a crash.
KLM India's tweet read “According to data studies by Time, the fatality rate for the seats in the middle of the plane is the highest. However, the fatality rate for the seats in the front is marginally lesser and is least for seats at the rear third of a plane.”
What a time to be alive…. ICYMI, somebody at KLM India thought this now deleted tweet was info every passenger needs: pic.twitter.com/ahI49BUKrV
— Brian Flannery (@brianflannery) July 17, 2019
The Washington post reported that the tweet was a response to a trivia question that the airline had put out earlier. The tweet in poor taste attracted negative reaction oline before being deleted.
The last thing a passenger sitting in the middle of plane wants to read before boarding is the fact they have the highest chance of dying if the plane were to crash.
The airline later issued an apology tweet explaining the fact was already publicly available.
“The post was based on a publically available aviation fact, and isn't a @KLM opinion. It was never our intention to hurt anyone's sentiments. The post has since been deleted.”
We would like to sincerely apologise for a recent update. The post was based on a publically available aviation fact, and isn't a @KLM opinion. It was never our intention to hurt anyone's sentiments. The post has since been deleted.
— KLM India (@KLMIndia) July 17, 2019
The original tweet claimed seats at the back of the plane give you the highest chance of survival if the event of plane crash. The front was the next best option and then the middle seats had the highest fatality rate based on a 2015 article by Time.
“The analysis found that the seats in the back third of the aircraft had a 32% fatality rate, compared with 39% in the middle third and 38% in the front third.”
In an email to the Washington Post FAA communications manager Lynn Lunsford explained that the results of those findings may not be accurate “There are too many variables, and this is the important one — so few accidents — that a simple answer is probably not statistically defensible.”
In another email, FAA spokesman Greg Martin added the one fact that will make you next flight a little more relaxing.
“Since February 2009, over 90 million miles, and about 8 billion passengers have been carried in U.S. commercial aviation without a single crash fatality — an exemplary safety record. As compared to any other human activity, the safest place to be is in a U.S. commercial airliner — regardless of seat.”
Rather than worrying about the miniscule chance of a crash. the most likely negative aspect of your next flight will be the increased chance of you of catching a cold. Read our guide on how to prevent yourself from getting sick on a plane.
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