How come if a window is smashed out on an airplane it will cause a disaster but other planes can open doors with no problem.

Question

Was on a flight the other day and remembered as a kid being worried the window would break and everyone would get thrown out of the plane, but went sky diving and half the plane was open with no issue. What’s the difference?

In: Physics

Answer 1

I think it’s due to the altitude the plane flies at. You are comparing a commercial jet that flies at 35k – 40k feet versus a Cessna that’s used for skydiving flies way, way below that. The pressure difference inside vs outside a commercial flight at 40k feet is a lot higher. The higher your altitude, the less pressure outside the plane there is. When the doors of a commercial jet close, the cabin gets pressurized with the same air pressure as the ground. Due to the pressure difference, you’d have stuff getting sucked out at 40k feet.