[anonAndOn]

At an airline training session I attended, a man who survived a famous passenger aircraft crash advised that one should get as low as possible in their seat and put their knees up against the back of the seat in front of you, while still buckled. The passengers that died around him were killed by the heavy luggage exploding out of the overheads and breaking their necks, so it's important to have your head below the seat back. The people who sat upright also tended to break their noses/faces on the seat backs in front of them. The speaker walked away from the crash with only a knee injury by bracing himself in the reclined position.

[gumby]

Interesting; this was the position they had us all adopt.

They also moved the "old"* people in the exit rows and asked a couple of us young men to take their places. Back then there was no pre-questioning to see if you're willing and able to open the exit windows. Interestingly, they gave us special instruction which was: "Don't open the window unless I [flight attendant] am disabled. I might not be opening it for a reason."

* probably around the age I am now, or younger, and I don't feel old. But I am a lot fitter today than people my age tended to be 30 years ago.

[t0mas88]

That instruction is standard procedure. Same for the cabin crew, they're instructed not to evacuate unless told to by the cockpit crew or unable to communicate with the cockpit after an incident.

The main reason is knowing which engine is on fire vs shutdown. So in almost all cases you want to captain to decide the moment of evacuation, not the cabin crew and certainly not a passenger.

[renewiltord]

Interesting, the last time I paid attention to a safety briefing, they had us put our arms folded in front of us on the seatback in front of us and then our heads against the arms.

Supposedly the call for this on the plane would be “Brace! Brace!” Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong before the world shut down.