Originally Posted by
FliesWay2Much
I remember an accident investigator telling me that the most frequent cause of death in most
survivable crashes is internal bleeding caused by the aorta ripping from the heart as a result of large G-forces resulting from the rapid deceleration. .
The most common cause of death in aircraft accidents is smoke inhalation. After that it's blunt force trauma. Certain types of crashes will also produce high loading on the femur that can cause fractures and may interfere with exiting the aircraft.
In normal seating the best position is the "kiss your but good bye" aka head between your knees. If there is not enough space bend forward as far as possible and brace yourself against the seat ahead of you and cover the back of your neck. Always read your aircraft flight safety card for further instructions.