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The business class section in airplanes is often associated with affluence and prestige, with the most comfortable accommodation and offers the highest level of service. However, there are controversial studies showing that this section may not be the best seat for people, aside from its steep price.

The business class section in airplanes is often associated with affluence and prestige, with the most comfortable accommodation and offers the highest level of service. However, there are controversial studies showing that this section may not be the best seat for people, aside from its steep price.

In 2007, Popular Mechanics magazine released a controversial report showing that majority of airplane crash survivors were seated at the back of commercial planes—the economy class, while most of the fatalities where in the business class—the section nearest to the cockpit.

The report, based on the US aviation records since 1971, shows that a person who sits farther from the cockpit significantly increases his chances of survival in the event of a plane crash. And if he chooses to sit near the tail of a plane, he is 40 percent more likely to survive compared to business class passengers who are seated nearest to the cockpit.

Conspiracy Theory

While there are several studies showing the high fatality rates among business class passengers in airplane accidents, the results are usually rejected by airline companies—something which is not surprising given the fact that front row section generates billions of dollars every year.

And besides, companies need to capitalize on the “exclusivity” of the business class section—and studies showing its risk may spell out significant financial loss.

Meanwhile, some safety groups have criticized the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a federal agency that handles records of aviation accidents, for not initiating a study that will establish the survival rate of airline passengers in relation with their seats.

Glaring Evidence

To prove their claims, the researchers from the Popular Mechanics had analyzed 20 aviation accidents which have both fatalities and survivors.

By using the seating charts, the researchers found that in 11 out of 20 accidents, the survival rates were significantly higher among passengers seating at the rear of the planes, while only five crashes favored passengers sitting in the front sections.

For example, a 1978 crash in Portland, Oregon resulted to four fatalities who were all sitting in the first four rows of the plane, while no one in the rear sections died.

In a 1972 crash in New York City which is one of the worst aviation disasters in the US history, most of the survivors were all sitting on the last rows of the plane.

During a crash, an airplane has a tendency to nosedive since the cockpit is the heaviest part, predisposing front row passengers from impact-related injuries.