How do plane evacuations work?
Jan 25, 2008 | 4:49 pm
#47
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Programs: AA, AS, CO, DL, UA, US
Posts: 13
Planes in general or just commercial?
This forum is probably just for commercial aircraft, but there's a lot of basic information that is useful but probably too much information for the general public.
When working on any aircraft, like the YAL-1, Boeing 747 Airborne Laser platform, emergency egress is standard training to abandon the craft if there is a fire. Of course, these procedures are easier when the craft is sitting stationary on the ground.
Generally speaking, doors on the sides of an aircraft open and swing forward. Thus, starboard doors swing to the left as one exits. And port doors swing to the right as one exits. In other words, the design intent is that the doors self close and resist opening in flight. So the next time a FA is unavailable to open the door, note that doors open different depending on which side of the aircraft you're exiting. Passenger jet bridges most often hook up to the port side.
Of course, extra doors like hatches in the cockpit are dependent on make and model of aircraft.
And then there's rear hatches and ejection seats...
When working on any aircraft, like the YAL-1, Boeing 747 Airborne Laser platform, emergency egress is standard training to abandon the craft if there is a fire. Of course, these procedures are easier when the craft is sitting stationary on the ground.
Generally speaking, doors on the sides of an aircraft open and swing forward. Thus, starboard doors swing to the left as one exits. And port doors swing to the right as one exits. In other words, the design intent is that the doors self close and resist opening in flight. So the next time a FA is unavailable to open the door, note that doors open different depending on which side of the aircraft you're exiting. Passenger jet bridges most often hook up to the port side.
Of course, extra doors like hatches in the cockpit are dependent on make and model of aircraft.
And then there's rear hatches and ejection seats...
Jan 26, 2008 | 1:29 pm
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 312
Thanks for all the discussion! Especially the very detailed response from eoinnz. I did also see the CNN article the day or so after I posted my question. I also followed a link to a YouTube video of a practice evacuation of, I think, a 777. It was something with a 2-by-2 slide.
I would think in an emergency people would be pretty willing to jump and go, especially if everyone else was, assuming the area outside was (relatively) clear compared to inside. But jumping onto a slide isn't an instinctive way to exit which is probably the issue. The one time I went tandem sky-diving, I found that when I was at the edge of the jump door, jumping just sort of seemed natural, so I can imagine that might be the case in an emergency. But then again, maybe not. Hopefully I'll never have to find out!
I would think in an emergency people would be pretty willing to jump and go, especially if everyone else was, assuming the area outside was (relatively) clear compared to inside. But jumping onto a slide isn't an instinctive way to exit which is probably the issue. The one time I went tandem sky-diving, I found that when I was at the edge of the jump door, jumping just sort of seemed natural, so I can imagine that might be the case in an emergency. But then again, maybe not. Hopefully I'll never have to find out!
Jan 26, 2008 | 10:53 pm
#49
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,114
There is some good videos on Youtube showing simulated evacuations for aircraft to get certification. Of course the most recent was for the A380 where they evacuated 853 people in 77 seconds using HALF the exits.
A380 Evaucatuion Test
If you watch closely at the bottom of the slide you'll see people falling over and in a real situation there may not be people assisting you off and it could be concrete you fall onto - it will hurt. Even in this controlled environment you can see it's very chaotic so just imagine how it will be in a real life situation with the possibility of added elements like fire, rain, wind, debris etc.
A380 Evaucatuion Test
If you watch closely at the bottom of the slide you'll see people falling over and in a real situation there may not be people assisting you off and it could be concrete you fall onto - it will hurt. Even in this controlled environment you can see it's very chaotic so just imagine how it will be in a real life situation with the possibility of added elements like fire, rain, wind, debris etc.