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Re:Ask HN: Why do airlines still use "black boxes" ? by noonespecial on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @05:21PM (#640451)
The percentage of actual crashes in which a parachute would do anyone any good is likely vanishingly small.

You can't use them when too high up (not enough O2) or too low (not enough time to deploy). Most crashes take place on takeoff or landing.

Of the problems that do happen that would take you through a "jumpable" altitude, you can only make the jump if you 1) have time, 2) have enough airplane left to jump out of. If a big whole ripped in the plane while in flight at 30k feet, you are very likely already unconscious or dead.

There are other issues related to the fact that commercial airliners are not made to be jumped out of at speed. Its difficult or impossible to open their doors during flight (with good reason). Even if you could get them open, there may not be a jump trajectory from some doors that doesn't provide a personal introduction to wing or engine part. Also, you cannot jump and live from a plane going 300 knots. The plane would have to decelerate to near stall to make it safe and if its already crashing, maneuvering at the edge of performance is not likely.

Also, consider that professional and military jumpers are highly trained, in top physical shape, and the landing sites are carefully chosen to avoid injury. As a fun thought experiment, take Rosanne Bar, put her in a small canopy "emergency chute", and drop her, at random, over the Arizona desert. (She was on her way to Vegas, baby). Calculate survivability.

Chutes for everyone would be expensive, heavy and probably only be beneficial in single digit percentages (or even sub single) of all crashes. They would very likely cause more problems than they would solve.

Re:Ask HN: Why do airlines still use "black boxes" ? by jdbeast00 on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @05:43PM (#640491)
i'm sorry but i just don't buy the 'chutes aren't worth it / wouldn't work' argument. i'm confident that in the next few decades we'll have better safety systems in planes, it will just take a few really smart engineers. people will still die in planes, sure, but in the cases where chutes or whatever will help, there will be huge benefits.
Re:Ask HN: Why do airlines still use "black boxes" ? by run4yourlives on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @07:21PM (#640664)
There is a small aircraft manufacturer, Cirrus that puts a parachute recovery system right on the aircraft itself.

Notably, reviews have been mixed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_Recovery_Systems

Cirrus, it should be noted has an below average crash rate compared to other aircraft in class. Clearly, the small total of 18 deployments compared to the crash rate leaves a lot of work to be done.

Re:Ask HN: Why do airlines still use "black boxes" ? by noonespecial on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @05:49PM (#640502)
Strangely chutes on planes might be worth it, but maybe not like you think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_Recovery_Systems

Re:Ask HN: Why do airlines still use "black boxes" ? by tdupree on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @05:59PM (#640537)
This is an intriguing idea, has anybody heard of any research done for this regarding passenger airplanes?
Re:Ask HN: Why do airlines still use "black boxes" ? by Zak on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @06:17PM (#640571)
Based on the article, I'm guessing large passenger jets are some time off. BRS is currently working on systems for very small business jets.
Re:Ask HN: Why do airlines still use "black boxes" ? by gvb on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @08:55PM (#640758)
Nobody knows how to make a ballistic parachute that will handle a passenger jet, especially not a widebody A330.

Airplane doors CANNOT be opened in flight unless you depressurize the airplane first. Even then, it would probably be difficult. The only airliner (that I am aware of) that could have the rear stairs opened in flight was the 727, which was "fixed" after D.B. Cooper took that way out. (Odds are pretty good he didn't make it, either.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper_vane

Re:Ask HN: Why do airlines still use "black boxes" ? by anigbrowl on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @05:54PM (#640510)
For this to be true everyone would have to wear one, and the plane would have to break open in mid-air. Obviously, structural integrity is an asset more often than a disadvantage. You won't be able to engineer this unless everyone sits in mini capsules and the plane like a ballistic missile with MIRV. The costs (in planes accidentally exploding over false positives and spewing out their encapsulated passengers) vastly outweigh the benefits.