Purpose: This podcast explains the safety regulations for how quickly passengers and crew must be able to get out of large airplanes in an emergency. These rules are found in two sections of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR): FAR 25.803 and Appendix J. These regulations are specifically for "transport category airplanes," which are basically large passenger planes.
Sources:
What is FAR 25.803?
FAR 25.803 says that every part of a large airplane where passengers and crew sit must have ways to get out quickly during a crash landing. This includes situations where the landing gear is up or down, and even if there is a fire. The most important rule is that if a plane has more than 44 passenger seats, everyone on board (including crew) must be able to get out in under 90 seconds during a simulated emergency.
How do they test if a plane can be evacuated in 90 seconds?
That's where Appendix J comes in. It explains exactly how the airplane manufacturers have to test the evacuation process. Here are some of the key points:
It's a realistic simulation. They can't just tell people to run out of a perfectly fine plane in broad daylight. The test happens in low light conditions (like at night), and they can only use the plane's emergency lighting. Everyone has to start in their seats with their seatbelts fastened, and they even put some bags and other stuff in the aisles to make it more like a real evacuation.
They use a diverse group of people. To make the test realistic, at least 40% of the people have to be female, and 35% have to be over 50 years old. They even use dolls to simulate babies. This is because different people move at different speeds, and the test needs to make sure everyone can get out safely.
Nobody gets a practice run. The people in the test can't practice the evacuation beforehand. They can get some basic safety instructions, but they don't know which exits they'll be using until the test starts. This is to see how people would really react in a sudden emergency.
The crew doesn't help. The flight attendants and pilots aren't allowed to help people get out during the test. This might seem strange, but it's because in a real emergency, the crew might be injured or busy dealing with other problems.
Why are these rules important?
These rules are all about safety. The goal is to make sure that in a real emergency, everyone on board a large airplane has a good chance of getting out alive. By requiring airplane manufacturers to test the evacuation process and meet the 90-second standard, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is helping to make flying safer for everyone.
Share this post