MovieChat Forums > Unbroken (2014) Discussion > Why didn't they jump from the plane?

Why didn't they jump from the plane?


That part didn't make sense to me, why did they remain in the plane as it was going in the ocean? Why not jump and avoid being trapped inside?

Why would I save a world I no longer have any stake in?

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You try jumping out of a plane at that momentum.

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Not as bad as being in there while it crashed in the ocean, and getting trapped inside or getting hit by any object from inside.

Why would I save a world I no longer have any stake in?

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I imagine because, aside from the possibility of ending up in shark-infested far from the lifeboats, there would be only a small window (pardon the pun) between being so high up that you break every bone, and so low that the plane lands on you. Also remember if you jump from a fast moving object you don't fall down, you fall down and forward, so you also have to work that into your calculations.

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I tried to do some of the calculation. When high divers dive, it's not the height that can kill them, it's the speed they pick up on the way down. About 60 mph would be fatal. If you're jumping from an object probably flying at above that speed, you still have that momentum, and are already above the fatal limit. Even speeds of 30 to 50 are only survivable if you land feet first, straight down, which is physically impossible if you're propelled forward by momentum.

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