Wrong safety cards
 

Just an amusing observation. Today on my morning flight all the seat back safety cards were for a 757-200 even though we were flying a 717. Attention to detail is usually an important part of any safety protocol.

Interesting, I wonder what the FARs say about safety card requirements. Would this have rendered the flight unable to depart if they error had been noticed by crew? Kind of a silly issue, until it's not.

Not that anyone actually reads them, but if I had to guess that's an FAA violation and would possibly be subject to a fine if reported and confirmed given that the flight flew. I didn't read the guidance but here's the FAA requirements related to safety cards: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/.../AC121-24C.pdf

Yes. They need correct safety cards. Having the wrong card is as good as having no card.

My seatmate surmised that the 717 wanted to be a 757 when it grew up so the safety cards were aspirational.

Curious what was the flight? Curious if it was an outstation or if plane had been serviced recently.

Putting aside that no one looks at them, it is arguably worse than no card depending on differences between the models. Most people wouldn't know they are on a 717 and not a 757. Exit door location and location of safety equipment will differ between models.

Thanks. I figured I would ask rather than debate whether or not it truly is a safety issue or not.

Luckily I read FAA AC's for work related reasons, so I was able to zoom to the spot where it should be contained:

"2. PASSENGER SAFETY BRIEFING CARDS. Oral briefings must be supplemented with briefing cards, which must be pertinent only to that type and model of aircraft and consistent with the airline's procedures."

Flight was SEA-PHX.

Agree. I was just speaking legally. Hopefully OP reported it.

As the AC was advisory in nature, I wanted to find the applicable regulation. The appropriate CFR reference is 14 CFR 121.571 - Briefing passengers before takeoff.

(b) Each certificate holder must carry on each passenger-carrying airplane, in convenient locations for use of each passenger, printed cards supplementing the oral briefing. Each card must contain information pertinent only to the type and model of airplane used for that flight, including -

(1) Diagrams of, and methods of operating, the emergency exits;

(2) Other instructions necessary for use of emergency equipment; and

Anon, how large of a sample size do you have for "all" of the cards? Did the flight crew make an announcement to the effect that they were the wrong cards (as a warning to ignore them, for example)? Your row? Several rows? As an armchair quarterback I am curious how severe the infraction this is. If my seat had the wrong card but one in the row or nearby was accurate, that would fit the "convenient locations" clause in my opinion.

I would venture a guess that anything beyond the reach of a seated and belted passenger would be too far. But I do feel that a mixture of seat card types would be pretty significant of an infraction, if not creating a giant liability in the event of an incident.