SAN DIEGO -- Most people believe if an airplane crashes its occupants can't survive, but government studies show that's just not true.

10News went to the Federal Aviation Administration training center to learn how to survive an airplane crash.

Nineteen out of 20 people involved in a commercial airline crash make it out of safely, and experts say if you know what to do, you can, too.

It's not a matter of luck, but rather how you handle the situation and follow instructions.

An Air France flight skids off the runway and crashes into a ravine. Everyone survives and headlines around the world call it a miracle.

"The flying public has a perception that airline accidents are not survivable and nothing could be farther from the truth," David Palmerton, with the FAA training center, said.

At the FAA training center in Oklahoma City, employees study plane crashes and research what went right and wrong.

And the best in the airline industry come to the center to learn how to survive a plane crash and how to help you when you're a passenger on their airplane.

Fight attendants say this is important because once you've actually experienced it, you know how to react in a real situation if it were to happen.

Aboard an aircraft cabin, flight attendants faced a simulated crash. After bracing themselves, smoke filled the cabin.

The flight attendants knew they had to evacuate within 90 seconds before the plane is engulfed in flames.

One tip to survive a plane crash is when you board a plane, count the number of rows between you and the exits. That way if the cabin fills with smoke and you can't see, you can feel your way out, 10News reported.

The trainees made it through, moving quickly and following orders. They jumped out the emergency exit. Some even played parents and carried a 14-pound baby.

"You're inclined to want to protect the child from the smoke, so you're holding it close. You can't really see where you're going. (It was) definitely a learning experience -- very exhilarating," said flight attendant Joseph Cerrigone.

"If you've never had this experience and training, it's frightening -- it's terribly frightening," said flight attendant Nancy Harrelson.

All of the trainees make it out safely, but instructors say too many times passengers make costly mistakes. They say it's amazing how many people take time to get their purses and carry-on luggage. Anything you really need instructors say to put it in your pocket.

Also, think about the shoes you're wearing -- high-heels might make it harder to escape. And long sleeves and pants are best if your plane catches fire.

With improved aviation safety -- just because your plane crashes -- don't assume you're number is up.

10News also wanted to know where the best place to sit on an airplane is if it crashed, but that's really a question that can't be answered because it all depends on what type of crash it is and what, if anything, the plane crashes into.