Zip

Anyone here ever pay attention to the safety announcements before plane departs? What about reviewing the plastic safety card in each seat? I see all the upgraded flyers (including me) who put their heads down into their magazine, or just doze off, and try not to even acknowledge the announcements; we fly so much, we don't really need this.

Well, not me anymore. CLE-YYZ on CO Express Embraer jet. Always try to get the exit row, since like in many planes, there is that extra legroom. And sure, I can read the signs on the exit door and open it if needed, but come on, what are the chances for that??
(As it turned out, we didn't need to do it this time either).

Actually, my wife was by the door. I don't want to repeat complete details of this Oct 18 flight, CO4014 -- more details are posted on the Continental Board. But basically, we needed to prepare for an emergency landing at YYZ - possible that landing gears were not locked in position. Airport did treat this as emergency, and had takeoffs and landings diverted for awhile, to accommodate us. Fire trucks were waiting along the runway.

The big thing, for us being in the exit row, was to know our duties. FA was assured that my wife could open door, and throw it out the hatch. She asked me if I would stay, and help the other passengers out. I said yes, I'll do that (implications didn't really sink in until later). My wife reviewed her plan - she would be the one to compare conditions inside and outside the plane, and then decide when to open the door (how much debris could she see, smoke, fire, puddles of liquid, etc). Once out the door, I told her to slide to the ground, and leave the vicinity of the plane. I would help the other passengers get out the door; then tell them to sit down, and slide off the wing - which is not too far above the ground; then they should look to see if anyone already off needed assistance to getting away from the plane.

I was preparing for all this mentally, but I did not have to do it. Would I have come through - can’t say with 100% certainty. I would like to believe that I would. And I hope I would decide wisely exactly when to leave my post. But I will be grateful to NEVER BE IN A POSITION TO KNOW FOR SURE!!!

Many of us like exit rows (when we cannot be upgraded). But in exchange for that, it never occurred to me just what an awesome responsibility that came with that benefit. I hope everyone has a complete flying career without ever needing an exit-door exit! But if you sit there, it is your responsibility. Are you up to that?

So, even though I know all the safety routines by heart, the next time you see someone in FC actually paying full attention to the FA, that may be me. And whenever I get on a different type plane, that will be me reviewing the safety card information.

Have a safe flight.

jsmeeker

yeah.. I do review it, especially if its type of plane I haven't flow in a while or if I am sitting in the exit row. I review the card and placards on how to open the door.

sowalsky

I never pay attention. The fixation with "FAA regulations" and such other bullcrap makes me so sick to my stomach I read the air-sickness bag INSTEAD of the "death" card.

Oh, and I still find it amusing that on CO the card still shows a man cutting the cord that tethers the life raft to the plane WITH A KNIFE.

LarryJ

Yes, very amusing, especially since each and every life raft is equipment with, amung other survival equipment, a knife designed specifically for cutter the tether after all passengers have evacuated.

Globaliser

Were you asked to assist from inside or outside the aircraft? I would have thought that you'd be more use outside, not blocking the exit path, and able to pull people through if necessary.

CPRich

In addition to the legroom, I get exit rows as often as possible precisely for this reason.

I trust myself to know what to do in an emergency much more than anyone else.

WHBM

This is all rather disappointing. The best way to keep yourself current on the safety instructions is to follow along with the instructions every flight. It's also polite to the FAs - they notice who is being sensible and who is not. One of my key evaluation points about an airline is how they do the safety drills. Well done BA, where the captain speaks first to ask you to pay attention to the FAs.

Do you turn round to see where the exits behind you as they are pointed out? Check the lifejacket is actually in position under your seat (feel for the tab) as it is described? Read the safety card on every flight? It's all very sensible stuff. If you ever need it, it will all be in your head.

Everyone expects the skipper and the co-pilot to "be the hero" in an emergency, and fortunately they normally are. How do they achieve this? By constantly, incessantly, going through all the safety drills on every flight (even the empty positioning flights) so it just becomes an instant reaction. What would your reaction be if the flight crews said they couldn't be bothered with their drills?

By the way, everyone, don't get too worried about a wheels-up landing. I know it sounds dreadful, looks spectacular (sparks, etc), but the planes will stand a good slide. Actually saw one at our airfield a while ago (mechanical fault in the landing gear). The pilot not only cut the engines on short finals, to glide in, but then "blipped" the engines with the starter motor to get the (two-bladed) props horizontal so they would not hit the ground and be damaged in the slide. Now that's what you can call skill. Read about it at ...

http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/bulletin/may02/gelbc.htm

disneybride

I admit that I don't pay attention to the FA safety announcement (I know how to buckle my seat belt, and that the bag will not inflate). However, if I'm in an exit row, I do look over the card, then physically look at the door and figure out how the instructions on the card match up (they often leave out a step or something). If I'm not in an exit row, I count the number of seats between me and the exit. Figuring if there is smoke and fire seeing will be pretty tough and I could at least feel my way to the exit.

I always check the emergency evacuation signs in hotel rooms too. After I realized all of the mistakes I made during my first fire alarm that woke me from a deep sleep (didn't know where room key was, ran out into hall with out checking to see if the door was hot first, only a vague idea of where the stairs may be, etc.), I'm more cognizant now.

doelbrca

I was working on a project with an airline and I was invited to participate as a "passenger" on a mock emergency landing test for flight attendants.
It is an actual plane up on hydraulics and you don't know what is going to happen beforehand. I knew it was fake, but when the plane started shaking, there was smoke in the aisles and the lights went out and the flight attendants start yelling instructions-my heart started to pound.
I ended up sliding down the rear chute and getting out within the specified number of seconds. But I can tell you - I hope that is the only opportunity I ever have of going down the slide. And now when I fly I always count the number of rows between me and the two exits closest - keeping in mind that the nearest exit may be behind me. PS. The exit doors are very heavy on older planes and you may be asked to be the last person out.

jsmeeker

Probably not the *best* thing to worry about if you are goign to go in gear up. At least he put it on the runway instead of the grass. Screwe the prop and the engines. That's what you have insurance for.


[This message has been edited by jsmeeker (edited 10-25-2002).]

erik123

Research indicates that your chances of surviving a crash go up if you pay attention to the safety demonstration. According to what I've read - the nummer one rule seems to be to count the number of rows between you and the emergency exit - because smoke, darkness and disorientation will make it difficult to see it in the event of a crasgh/fire - and this will help you exit the plane quicker. Many people that survive the initial crash die of smoke-inhalation.

Zip

Interesting question. Afterwards, my wife told me she expected me to be on the wing, helping others through the door. However, I was planning on kneeling on the seats (arm rests up), and helping people to and out the door. In this plane, there would still be enough room for people to pass in front of me. (Safety card showed people leaning on the seat in front of them during an emergency landing; we couldn’t come close to doing that!) I also expected that ground emergency personnel would be outside, helping people as they came out. Perhaps a current/former FA can clarify what is expected here.

Jsmeeder, WHMB, disneybride (?), erik123 and others, thanks for your positive statements about safety.

robb

I pay attention simply because it seems so rude to ignore the flight attendants who are having to do the demonstration. I pay less attention when there is a video.

I was surprised to be on UA transpac flights recently in which every little announcement about the movie was repeated in 3 languages, but the safety demonstration was solely conducted in English. Way to confirm the value.

On the same trip I flew 2 Indian Airlines flights in which the entire demonstration was conducted in Hindi and then repeated in English (the FA's started all over again and used all the props again).

As for the prop blades, I'm sure that the pilot repositioned the blades not out of finanical concern, but because you want to reduce the chances of the blades getting knocked loose and flying into the cabin! Also, I suspect that landing on the uneven surface of the grass (with dirt/rocks/bumps/etc.) is probably more dangerous than the controlled surface of the runway (particulary if foamed).

Last question. I thought the door was supposed to be put inside the plane, not "thrown out" the door. I mean you'd hate to injure an approaching rescue worker, damage the slide, or injure yourself by trying to heave a very heavy door. It would seem that the most dangerous outcome would be one in which you threw the door too short and blocked the slide. It seems much safer to place the door on the seats of the row behind than to try to get it outside.

Zip

That might be a general rule. On our flight, it was a 50-seat ExpressJet, and Wings close to ground, so no slide; you sit on wing, and hop off. The safety card specifically shows placing the door on the outside of the plane, toward the tail. It would have been very ackward to keep it inside this size plane.

ORD1Kguy

The door is definitely supposed to be thrown out so as not to impede traffic flow out of the exit. I do check where the exit is and if unfamiliar with the aircraft I check the orientation of the door and weight. Now, this brings up a major issue that I have a problem with and have actually brought up to flight attendants. I don't believe they apply any strict standard about the individuals who sit in the exit row, other than children. ZIP, do you think your wife could have lifted and thrown the 35 pound door out the window. We aren't talking about dead lifting 35 or 40 pounds but throwing it out of the plane. Other than the distribution of the weight that's more than two 16 lb bowling balls, not an easy task. I have personally witnessed the smallest of women seated in the exit row, elderly women too, and I had grave concerns that if anything should happen they would in no way be able to get that door out of the plane thus clogging the exit. I don't make that statement to be sexist because I've seen very smallish teenage boys seated there and had the same concerns. I'm curious how FT'ers feel about that or do they not give it a second thought, just like the safety briefing.

[This message has been edited by ORD1Kguy (edited 10-26-2002).]