Government Manual Explains How To Survive A Plane Crash 'Like MacGyver'

FAAThe latest issue of the Federal Aviation Administration's FAA Safety Briefing magazine is out, and it includes handy tips for surviving after a plane crash.

In "What Would MacGyver Do?," Sabrina Woods uses the television secret agent, famed for using everyday materials to solve problems, as an inspiration for keeping aviators alive after things go wrong.

Here are some of her tips, aimed at pilots of small aircraft. Sorry, no help here for living through the crash itself:

• Keep people informed of where you plan to go and how long it will take, in case you don't make it.

• Carry a pocket knife and other basic survival gear (that's climate-appropriate).

• Bring duct tape.

• Consider keeping vital gear on your person — so you don't leave it behind when you escape your crashed plane.

• Know how to get rescued, including how to use your plane's emergency locator transmitter

• Get trained: The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute offers a free, one-day survival course.

You can read the full article in the June/July issue of the FAA Safety Briefing, and take a look at this excerpted survival equipment list:

FAA