What do people die from when falling from 40,000 feet?

Heart Attack! If you 'fall' from a plane without a parachute, then it's safe to assume that you're not a skydiver and if not paranoid, you're suicidal. It won't matter where you fall, since you won't make it that far alive. read more

At terminal velocity (you’re virtually guaranteed this speed from a fall at 40,000 feet), there’s little difference whether you land on a body of water somewhere or flat ground. Unless, of course, you land on something narrow and pointy. read more

There are documented cases of people surviving a free-fall from an airplane and living to tell the tale. At 40,000 feet, your biggest problems are the elements; it is extraordinarily cold and the air is of such low concentration that you will black out. In my opinion, you won't die from this necessarily. read more

How to Fall 35,000 Feet And Survive You're six miles up, alone and falling without a parachute. Though the odds are long, a small number of people have found themselves in similar situations—and lived to tell the tale. read more