How Are Passenger Planes Able To Land On Water?

The aviation term used to describe a controlled water landing is "ditching." This is different from a "crash," which indicates the pilot lost control. When ditching, the first challenge is to slow the aircraft's speed dramatically and bring it down as gently as possible. The highly publicized event of U.S. Airways Airbus A320 ditching into the Hudson River in 2009 showcased significant pilot skill under pressure. The man behind the controls, Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, touched the tail down into the water first, dramatically slowing the speed of the plane before full impact.

One of the primary goals when ditching is to prevent significant structural damage to the aircraft, not only for the passengers' physical safety, but to limit as much water incursion as possible. In addition, the crew must close intake vents prior to touchdown, which can allow water inside. Some aircraft, like the Airbus A320, feature a dedicated ditching control, which triggers components open to the exterior to seal.

Once in the water, air pockets are created in the fuselage in places like the cargo area, which help keep the plane afloat. However, even in the best-case scenarios, buoyancy is short-lived. Commercial jets strive for at least 90 seconds of flotation, just enough time to get everyone off the plane before it sinks.

While a successful emergency landing in a river or lake requires masterful control of the aircraft from expert pilots, the ocean raises the difficulty significantly. Unpredictable swells and intense winds, for example, put a pilot in a situation where certain factors are simply out of their control. Nevertheless, a pilot must orient the aircraft so the waves are parallel, reducing the chance of a swell catching a crest and spinning the plane. 

The remote nature of ocean ditching makes it especially dangerous, because landing is only the first hurdle to overcome. According to the National Air and Space Museum, many passengers who perish in a ditching event don't do so during the landing, but instead succumb to drowning or exposure afterward. Rescue crews can't reach survivors in remote ocean waters as quickly as they can in a situation occurring in a lake or river.

One terrifying example was the Flying Tiger Flight 923, which had to ditch 500 miles west of Ireland following a series of catastrophic engine trouble in 1962. Icy waters, 20-foot-high waves, and winds whipping around at 50 mph caused severe structural damage on impact. All but one life raft was taken away by the wind, and the one remaining was deployed upside down, blocking access to survival equipment. For hours, huddled survivors endured, with rescuers unable to see them amid the relentless conditions. Fortunately, as a result of this incident, life rafts are now reversible and can't be deployed upside down. In addition, lights are now included on both rafts and life jackets for better visibility.

Despite the fact that as many as 40% of Americans harbor a fear of air travel, per The Hill, modern commercial aircraft are safer than ever before. Even when looking at which airlines have the worst record for plane crashes globally, while still tragic, they register a much smaller number of incidents than you might think. Research data from MIT shows that commercial passenger deaths were 1 for every 350,000 who boarded in 1968 and, by 2022, were 1 for every 13.7 million who boarded.

However, emergency situations can't be eliminated entirely and, in rare cases, require an aircraft to attempt an emergency water landing. Those wondering why airplanes don't carry parachutes for passengers in these types of scenarios need only consider things like lack of training and scattering survivors over a wide area among the potential problems.

According to the National Air and Space Museum, there are between 12 and 15 incidents annually across aviation (not just commercial airliners) where a pilot must ditch over a body of water. If that figure sounds high, keep in mind the staggering number of flights taking place every day across the world without incident, making the chances of experiencing this situation extremely slim.