Emergency aircraft evacuation
Encyclopedia
Emergency aircraft evacuation refers to emergency evacuation
from an aircraft
which may take place on the ground, in water, or mid-flight. There are standard evacuation procedures and special evacuation equipment.
s detailing evacuation procedures. These include locating and using emergency exit
s, using slides
and flotation devices for water landing
s, etc.
has also been tried. Once clear of the aircraft, the ejection seat deploys a parachute
.
are designed to allow people to exit aircraft mid-flight and safely land on the ground by creating drag to slow descent.
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
from an aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
which may take place on the ground, in water, or mid-flight. There are standard evacuation procedures and special evacuation equipment.
Commercial airplanes
Commercial aircraft are equipped with aircraft safety cardAircraft safety card
An aircraft safety card is a document instructing passengers on an aircraft about the procedures for dealing with various emergency conditions that might arise during the flight....
s detailing evacuation procedures. These include locating and using emergency exit
Emergency exit
An emergency exit in a structure is a special exit for emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation, while it also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked by fire, etc....
s, using slides
Evacuation slide
An evacuation slide is an inflatable slide used to evacuate an aircraft quickly. An escape slide is required on all commercial aircraft where the door sill height is such that, in the event of an evacuation, passengers would be unable to "step down" from the door uninjured An evacuation slide is...
and flotation devices for water landing
Water landing
A water landing is, in the broadest sense, any landing on a body of water. All waterfowl, those seabirds capable of flight, and some human-built vehicles are capable of landing in water as a matter of course....
s, etc.
Ejection seats
In aircraft, an ejection seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an explosive charge or rocket motor, carrying the pilot with it. The concept of an ejectable escape capsuleEscape crew capsule
An escape crew capsule allows a pilot to escape from their craft while it is subjected to extreme conditions such as high speed or altitude...
has also been tried. Once clear of the aircraft, the ejection seat deploys a parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
.
Parachutes
ParachutesParachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
are designed to allow people to exit aircraft mid-flight and safely land on the ground by creating drag to slow descent.
Further reading
- Safety Study: Emergency Evacuation of Commercial Airplanes. National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
. Adopted June 27 2000. - Muir, H. C.; Bottomley, D. M.; Marrison, C. "Effects of Motivation and Cabin Configuration on Emergency Aircraft Evacuation Behavior and Rates of Egress". International Journal of Aviation Psychology 1996; 6(1): 57-78.