Airline Safety
Your story on Feb. 8 regarding airplane safety hit home, but
there is more to the tale. I recently took part in evacuation
drills for the 737 Next Generation airplanes, and it sure
changed my awareness.
All the things your interviewee said were true: keep your shoes
on, spot the exit, pay attention to the flight attendants at ALL
times. But if you are sitting within two rows of an exit, you
bear a special responsibility. Notice, I say within two rows,
either in front or behind an exit door.
Often, the first person to the exit door is not the one
sitting next to it. They are usually too close to be of much
use. To operate the door, they must unbelt, stand up, and STEP
BACK far enough to move their arms and
if they have to read the instructions at that point: there is no
time, and maybe no light. Then they must pull the handle, lift
the door, pull the door towards themselves, twist it 90 degrees,
and have the presence of mind to throw it overboard. That is a
lot to handle, particularly if you are inexperienced and
confused by the noise and panic.
Often, it is a person in the aisle seat or even across the aisle
who is the first to make it to the door. They actually have a
better shot, as they can unbelt and get to their feet much
quicker than when pressed against the cabin wall. They are
already facing the door squarely, can see the instructions as
they move, and can lunge at the door much faster than if they
had to stand and turn around.
I understand that we have, on average, about 90 seconds to get
everyone out of the cabin. Under those conditions, anything or
anyone in our way should be THROWN out the door. Literally. The
lights are out, the flight attendants are yelling "GO! GO! GO!",
grabbing people to their feet, and shoving them out with what
amounts to a well practiced karate move. This is no time for
gallantry. Go over the seats if the aisle is blocked. Just get
out.
I do wish they showed realistic evacuations in films, in
schools, or somehow used the media to communicate just how
serious this is. Every traveler should see this before getting
on board. I don't think it would cut down air travel, but it
would get a lot more respect for what's really involved, and for
the training and capability of our flight attendants. If you
have not been through such a drill, I recommend that you contact
one of the airlines and do so with a radio crew.
Incidentally, I should point out that the new doors on the 737
NG will save something like 20 seconds of evacuation time. They
don't come off at all, they are spring loaded and fly up when
the handle is pulled. Boeing took a heavy loss in production
delays by going to this new technology when they did, but it
will prove worth it the first time it is needed.
Jim
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