Eli5: Why aren’t we able to recover bodies after large travel craft accidents?

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After plane or space craft crashes, what happens to the bodies? Do they implode because of the pressure? In plane crashes, clothes and pieces of the aircraft are found, but no bodies.

After the challenger explosion there weren’t any bodies either.

What happens to them?

Eta: Thank you so, so much everyone who has responded to me with helpful comments and answers, I am very grateful y’all have helped me to understand.

Eta2: Don’t get nasty, this is a safe and positive space where kindness is always free.

I am under the impression of “no bodies”, because:

A. They never go into detail about bodies (yes it’s morbid, but it’s also an unanswered question….hence why I’m here) on the news/documentaries, only about the vehicle and crash site information.

B. I do not understand force and the fragility of the human body on that scale, —which is funny because I have been in a life altering car accident so I do have *some* understanding of how damaging very high speeds in heavy machinery can be. You’re crushed like bugs, basically. Just needed some eli5 to confirm it with more dangerous transport options.

Nonetheless, I have learned a great deal from you all, thank you💙

Eta3: I am learning now some of my framing doesn’t make sense, but y’all explained to me what and why. And everyone is so nice, I’m so thankful🥹

In: Physics

41 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

I used to do recovery after military crashes. A transport tumbled into the desert floor nearby during a low level practice. In this case, there were a lot of small parts left over along with a few large recognizable chunks. And lots of feet in shoes/boots because the footwear protected the feet. If you get to the crash site quickly you can recover most of the parts for identification and return to the family. If it takes time to find and travel to the site, you’re in competition with the animals and environment. Skeletons have been found in recovered WWII aircraft. <edited for grammar>

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