TMacATL

Nailed it. Also remember the door is about 45 lbs and an awkward shape. Most do not have the upper body strength to twist this and toss it out while working in a tight space - would take much less time to remove it and stash it somewhere inside the aircraft

redslert

If the door is detachable, pretty sure they can just get a new one if needed.
Cost saving in an emergency?

ExitRowLegroom

I thought I was supposed to close the door back up. I don't want the wing to get too crowded if we have to stay out there for any reason.

jimquan

What I have never understood is the fixed armrests you often find in the exit row.

They require increased legroom (pitch) for the exit row then allow fixed armrests which would impede emergency egress? Wouldn't the armrests that flip up allow easier egress / exit?

Jim

mglvrug

My wife and I were once in an exit row on a UAX flight with a mid-20s FA who was very blas� about the whole safety routine when talking to us about our role in the event of an emergency. He concluded his spiel with the line, delivered deadpan, "Throw the door out through the window. Don't scratch the paint." And then walked away. It took two seconds for the line to register and then the whole row cracked up.

"Don't scratch the paint" has been a favorite in our family ever since.

jayne52

It really depends on the aircraft. Thats why all you frequent flyers that think you know it all should pay attention during the flight safety briefing before takeoff. If you are in an emergency situation trying to escape, who cares if you damage the aircraft door? NOT ME! Those doors usually are quite heavy; thats why they ask able bodied people to sit in emergency exits. In training- the one we lifted was 60 pounds.

cyclogenesis

Exactly! One thing I still do while occupying the exit row is to check how the door opens and what to do with it once opened.. Procedure is set by aircraft type. To my knowledge airlines do not set policy on this. (But I could be wrong)

TheEngineer

I did the BA Flight Safety Awareness course a couple of years ago (well worth it if you are UK based)

http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/...fety-awareness

The over- wing doors on a mid haul are actually very easy to open but it seems that there is a difference in procedure.

The BA instructions are for the exit door to be thrown out the hole you just created as it will impede the exit of those behind you. Apparently in the US the advice is to leave it in the plane.

netopia

I can't believe frequent fliers are just speculating wildly about this. Read the safety card and do what it says. It's different on every aircraft.

Some have a wing-attached emergency slide that could be destroyed when you throw the hatch on it. PLEASE don't throw it out there just because you think it's the right thing to do.

Others tell you to throw it out, presumably because it would be in the way if it were sitting on the seats.

Houston.Business

If you're going to do it, do it right.
1. Pull the Latch.
2. Remove the Door.
3. Go to First Class and retrieve a Blanket.
4. Wrap the door in the Blanket.
5. Find a roll of tape and secure the blanket.
6. Take the door to the rear galley for safe keeping.
7. Return to your seat and announce that it is safe to exit the Aircraft.

jmastron

This 10x. It's certainly good to run through scenarios where you might have a good reason to do something different than the instructions (e.g. tilt/angle), but if you're sitting in that exit row you had better read and know how it's expected *for that plane* and plan that as the default.

I can guarantee if the card says to put it on the seats and you decide to throw it out, but it gets jammed in the opening because it's heavier than you expected, or deflates the slide, and people are trapped because of that, you're going to have a lot of questions to answer (if you're around to do so). I don't pretend to know what kind of legal liability goes along with assisting in an airliner emergency, but "yeah, I read it and did something different just because. No, it didn't work out" isn't going to be very fun to repeat in court even if you eventually prevail...

ddelsobral

The people that write those safety cards are probably the same ones who told us for years that using your cell phone in airplane mode while in flight would cause the airplane to burst into flames. So no, I am not going to accept what they say on blind faith in an emergency situation.

QDDawg

This is my question as well. Being tall I always get the exit row seat and I like the window. The first thing I do when I sit down is look at the instructions on the door to determine if I'm suppose to throw it out or place it on the seat.

If you're suppose to place it on the seat and the arm rests do not move you will have to somehow make it so it fits just in your seat and will be stable there and not fall over - which in an emergency is just not a reasonable expectation.

If it's a throw the door on your seat exit procedure the seats should have adjustable arm rests.
IMO

firespirit

I'm pretty sure the reason they aren't moveable is because they have to be able to support the weight of the door. Moveable ones are an extra step a passenger would have to remember to do before opening and picking up the haevy door.

xooz

I just had this discussion last week with my wife returning from BOS. I believe that the people cramming through to get out would inevitably knock the door around and possibly clog the works. My wife (naturally) took the opposite view from mine, saying it could get in the way outside.

I am with the "hurl it first and ask questions later" crowd.