Seat Pitch, Safety Videos, and Crash Position
 

Please don't flame me for being tall. I don't expect to be treated in some special way because of my height, but this came to my mind while watching a safety video on a Boeing 777 flying from LHR to LAX.

In the video they give instructions for how to get into "crash position" (probably not what they call it) for an emergency or rough landing. My question is; how is a tall person supposed to get in such a postion if the seat pitch is only 32"? I'm a fairly flexible person (good shape, do yoga) and couldn't get my head past the top of the seat in front of me. Does this make my seat less safe in that instance?

I'm not trying to be a smart a**, but if airlines are obligated to show these videos to everyone, shouldn't the plane be laid out in such a way that all passangers can take advantage of the safety features?

Please don't tell me that it's my choice to fly or that I should move out of coach. I'm simply interested in hearing some discussion on this topic. Thanks.

I don't get it. In my experience...

The only time the brace position is to put your head between your legs is when there is no seat in front of you. If you're in coach with a seat in front of you, the brace position is putting your hands on the top of that seat and putting your head down.

I don't get it. If you are tall, how can it be hard to get your head above the seat in front of you? Just lean over, right?

Exactly!

Seat Pitch, Safety Videos, and Crash Position
 

I would say that is a concern. I saw an episode of myth busters where they put the brace position to test with crash dummies in a 747 they crashed in the desert. Getting your head down lower than the top of the seat in front of you prevents the debris from hitting you in the head. Also they noted the rows forward of the wings were least likely to survive a crash. Made me think they should move first class to the back of the plane where it was the safest.

I don't disagree that it's a concern but I'd venture a guess that there are tons of people out there who wouldn't be able to bend enough to get their head lower than the top of the seat in front of them. Think of back injuries or pain, which a lot of us suffer from; height, arthritis, fused vertabrae, the elderly and any number of mobility issues. And let's not forget about girth. How many pax do you see whose stomach size wouldn't let them fold themselves in half to get low enough? The planes would be empty if that were a requirement to fly safely.

Ditto, I don't think most people can do the head between their knees thing with a seat in front.

The more common brace position is to put your head between your forearms (superman style) as close as possible to the seat in front - so you are a) looking down, to prevent whiplash, b) the closer your head is to the solid object in front of it, the less damage will be done on impact, and c) you have some protection for your head in the forms of your arms. Some airlines show hands over heads to protect the back of your head, and I prefer this position - with my forearms on the seat in front, palms on the back of my head (not linked) so there is a) some soft stuff between my skull and the seat (forearms / wrists are expendable), b) it keeps my arms tight in, to avoid them flailing and getting broken and c) the most likely place for things to land is on my head, again, my hands are more expendable than my skull.