If you are in a situation where you have to evacuate an aircraft: Leave your carry-on bags on the plane.
That’s what the Federal Aviation Administration is telling all airline passengers in its latest campaign to promote safety among passengers and crew who have to evacuate an aircraft.
According to the agency’s Safety Alert for Operators issued recently, the FAA is trying to solve a chronic problem of people evacuating aircraft in an emergency with their carry-ons.
Here’s what you need to know about the FAA’s reminder to airlines for passengers and crew to leave everything behind in the event of an emergency evacuation.
Why did the FAA have to issue a reminder on carry-on bags and evacuations?
According to the SAFO, the FAA found there was an “elevated injury and fatality risk” when passengers crowded the aisles with their things and had baggage blocking the exits.
Evacuation standards require that everyone needs to exit the aircraft in an emergency within 90 seconds.
The FAA is warning that people who grab their bags risk “survival rates in rapidly deteriorating conditions,” as well as “trip, slip and fall hazards.”
The reason the FAA issued this reminder was because of recurring instances where the evacuation standards were not met.
For example, American Airlines Flight 3023 out of Denver in July of this year had to abort takeoff due to a landing gear issue, and smoke entering the cabin led to an emergency evacuation.
What does the FAA’s reminder mean for airline passengers?
While the reminder is not a new rule, U.S. airlines may put greater emphasis on preventing safety risks such as passengers bringing carry-ons with them during an evacuation.
Onboard announcements, signage at the gate and updated crew training may also go into effect as a result of the FAA guidance.
Failure to comply with crew instructions are a violation of federal law, and can result in fines, jail time or lifetime bans from flying.
Travelers should keep hard to replace items on their person, such as money, credit cards, identification and even medication on their person.
In an emergency, passengers should not hesitate to leave all other items behind for their own safety.
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