Originally Posted by
Can I help you
It's actually a criminal offence to disobey a safety related command from a member of the flight or cabin crew, so taking handbaggage off when you have been told not to could be seen as a criminal offence.
Yes - but aviation doesn't operate in a blame culture.
Just as the theory applies that criminal sanctions would lead to a reduction in voluntary reporting by crew, what would happen in the case where passengers feared any potential criminal charges for not following instructions in an emergency?
Imagine the following scenario. Cabin crew brief passengers prior to an emergency landing that the overwing exit should not be opened until a command is given to do so.
Plane lands, cabin crew are incapacitated, the tannoy doesn't work, or the situation develops more rapidly than anticipated. The passengers at the exit row never hear a command to open the exit. They refuse/fail to open it because of fear of criminal sanctions. The evacuation is hampered and some passengers die.
This is not an excuse saying passengers should be allowed to carry baggage, but it is a reason why criminal sanctions should not be at the forefront of thinking by passengers in an emergency situation.