How to Survive Falling Out of a Plane
RAF Sgt. Nicholas Alkemade jumped out of a plane without a parachute and survived a 3.4 mile fall into a snow-covered forest.
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Tail gunner Alkemade was returning from a Berlin bombing run in a RAF Lancaster bomber, on March 25, 1944. The plane was hit, and fire prevented him from reaching his parachute.
At 18,000 feet, he opened the door and jumped. |
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Later, Alkemade remembered falling backwards with the starry sky above his feet. Then he passed out due to thin oxygen at high altitude.
When he woke up, he was lying in 18 inches of snow beneath the thick limbs of a fir forest. Sure, he suffered a few burns, some splinters, and an injured knee. But he was alive. The Germans found him smoking a cigarette. |
Terminal Velocity
If you do happen to fall out of a plane, the wind is your friend. Spread your arms and legs to increase air resistance. That will keep your terminal velocity below 125 miles per hour.
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If you see water, try to fly toward it. Try to enter feet first. It won’t feel good, but if it’s over 12 feet deep you’ve got a good chance of surviving.
No body of water? No snow-clad forest? Then look for another target. Maybe a barn, or the roof of a car, or even a plowed-up muddy field. Anything will break your fall better than a sidewalk. |
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Relax
Bend your knees slightly and relax. This will loosen your muscles, transfer less shock to your internal organs, and help you bounce instead of break.
Speaking of bouncing, most freefallers do. So use your arms to protect your head before you smack the ground the second time.
Many others have survived falling out of a plane, and with a little luck…you will too.
Read More: Nicholas Alkemade, RAF, freefall, parachute, how to, terminal velocity, survival, WWII, Berlin, bomber
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