As a private pilot myself, I always keep an eye out for where I’m going to glide to a safe landing if the engine quits. It becomes a habit, and stress levels rise whenever I am too low to make it to a suitable spot. Not all pilots think this way.

The people that survived can put a portion of their thanks to that experience and mindset, and a portion to the designers of the plane, who put in a ‘ditching switch’ that closes all vents in the bottom of the fuselage so it can float for a few minutes.

Luckily, the passengers and crew didn’t try to open the rear door until after it was submerged far enough for water pressure to prevent it. If they had succeeded, they might have sunk the aircraft.