When they say a plane breaks up mid-air, what does that mean?

[Benjamin]

Does it actually mean the plane completely disintegrates? Also are the people in the plane still alive/conscious?

(sorry for the morbid thread, I have always wondered this and what it must be like to go though that)

[Kizzy]

No as soon as is depressurises they die :(
I think yes it disintegrates ... god ben downer dave or what? :(

[Benjamin]

No as soon as is depressurises they die :(
I think yes it disintegrates ... god ben downer dave or what? :(

See I thought this but somebody today said they don't.

[Kizzy]

Have they tried it out? :suspect:

[Jordan.]

I saw whilst reading comments about MH17 that people can regain consciousness after they've fallen to a certain height and can breathe again...

[Marsh.]

http://4815162342execute.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/twocitiescap-0058.jpg

:shrug:

[Kizzy]

wouldn't that only be for a steep drop in altitude with no break in the fusilage?
I thought everything got sucked out of a hole in a plane?

[Benjamin]

wouldn't that only be for a steep drop in altitude with no break in the fusilage?
I thought everything got sucked out of a hole in a plane?

I think once it is dropped enough the pressure stabilises and nothing else gets sucked out? Are people still alive after being sucked out?

[lostalex]

no, it doesn't mean it disintegrates, it just means that it was in more than one piece when it hit the ground. sometimes that means it is in 2 pieces, sometimes it means it is in 20 pieces, sometimes 2 thousand pieces. but it just means that it is not in 1 piece when it hits the ground. a true plane crash is the plane crashing into the ground as a complete aircraft.