People Are Realising The Real Reason You Can’t Recline Your Seat During Takeoff, And I Had No Idea

You know those ominous black clumps you see in the branches of trees sometimes?

Well, it took a Reddit post for me to realise that those aren’t actually bird’s nests.

Nope ― they’re either mistletoe (which is technically a parasitic plant), or a “witch’s broom” growth irregularity spurred on by animal or bacterial invasions.

And now, a post shared to r/explainlikeimfive has inspired me to ask experts why we actually have to recline our chairs on takeoff and landing.

In a recent post shared by u/bishopZ, the site user asked: “Why do airline passengers have to put their seats into a full upright position for takeoff? Why does it matter?”

Here’s what experts at the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Flight Operations Specialist Group taught me:

A now-deleted Reddit account wrote under the original comment: “You’re most likely to have some sort of accident during takeoff and landing. This is also why your tray tables have to be up and you can’t have laptops during these times: ease of evacuation.”

Indeed aerospace safety expert and associate professor of aeronautical science Anthony Brickhouse told Business Insider that 49% of deaths happen during landing, while 14% occur at takeoff.

Speaking to HuffPost UK, a spokesperson for the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Flight Operations Specialist Group explained: “There are two primary safety-related reasons why aircraft seats must be in the upright position for take-off and landing.

“The first is that the seat gives the occupant maximum impact protection when upright, and its structure locks into position accordingly. Being upright also reduces the possibility of the occupant ‘submarining’ under their lap belt in the event of a violent deceleration.”

“Submarining” happens when a person’s seatbelt is a little loose, allowing their body to slip underneath it at high speed. They slide under the belt, increasing the risk of injury.

“The second reason is that reclined seats reduce the space available in the row behind for occupants to escape quickly if an emergency evacuation is required,” the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Flight Operations Specialist Group added.

The Guardian shared experts’ research into survivors of plane accidents. They found that people who had survived (rare) catastrophes had some things in common ― including being more likely to have read the plane’s safety briefing.

Knowing where the exits are, keeping your shoes on, and practising both the brace position and undoing your seatbelt can all help too.

And remember, Amanda Ripley, author of The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes, says: “between 1983 and 2000, 56% of passengers involved in serious plane accidents survived.”