no training for evacuation

NoHeat

NoHeat

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It occurred to me that in my private pilot training, almost nothing was said about evacuation after a crash. There were no questions about it on the knowledge exam. Nothing was said about it by my instructor until just before my checkride, when he devoted about ten seconds to giving a sample passenger briefing that I should repeat to my examiner before starting the engine: in case of an off-field landing, release the seatbelt by lifting the buckle, open the door, and then meet me on upwind of the plane. That was it -- my entire training for evacuation.

Here's my question: how many pilots receive more training than that, for evacuating a plane?

The reason I'm thinking of evacuation is that after the recent Asiana 777 crash landing, the crew did not commence an evacuation until 90 seconds after the crash. That's from today's NTSB briefing, where it was mentioned that flight attendants instructed passengers to remain seated while they checked with the pilots, but the pilots did not give them instructions to evacuate. I'd wager that flight attendants get a lot of training on evacuation, but I wonder how much the pilots get.
 
Best briefing I got on evacuation was from a retired AF guy I flew with a couple of months ago: 'If this thing catches fire, I leave through this door, you leave through that door and we both meet 200ft behind the aircraft to get our story straight for the hearing'. ;-)
 
All that was necessary for me to know about evacuation was to unlatch the door prior to an emergency landing and know how the seatbelt works, including be careful if we wind up inverted on the ground. ;)

I thought about adding an escape hammer but decided not to keep one in the airplane since I didn't want to have one within reach of a critic of my flying skills. :D

Cheers
 
This thread reminds me of this difference between Navy and USMC flight crews. The Navy flight crews are always very insistent that every pax gets a safety briefing before boarding the aircraft. The Marines....not so much. If you fly on a Marine aircraft, they just toss you a rubber duckie and a cranial and load you into the bird. I guess they figure if the aircraft goes down, everybody dies. Kind of scary in the MV-22 since the escape hatches did not seem terribly intuitive.


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FAR 61.107(a) & (b)(1)(ii) expanded in the Private Pilot PTS as TASK B: Cockpit Management
item 4. Brief occupants on the use ..(bla, bla, bla) ..and emergency procedures.

Just a quote of the regulations that require the training (and testing) that you did not receive, by your own testimony.

Think there might have been something else?
 
Regardless of the "Regulations & Procedures", Korean (Oriental ) culture demands subservient to the Captain . You know that's what it was.
 
The training I got was to unlatch the door, put the headset in it to make sure it stays open in case metal gets bent, and after the airplane is stopped, unlatch the seatbelts and everyone meet behind the plane.
 
Unbuckle and get out, but brace before unbuckling if upside down. How you get out will depend on the plane and the orientation of the plane. For example the odds of getting the door open on a low wing (even if you popped it before impact) are very low if inverted, some planes have emergency exits, some don't, some have more than one door, some don't, some you can open the baggage door from inside, some you can't, etc.
 
My school taught us to say, "In case of emergency, meet up at the rear of the plane, avoid the propeller at all times," as part of our passenger briefing. Not sure it need to be more complex than that for a small plane...
 
Every flight in the Pitts starts with "In the event of a structural failure or fire, we will bail out. It is a wood and fabric airplane with 23 gallons of 100L. If it catches fire, it won't stay burning for long, we WILL bail out..."

Don't you brief each passenger with the number, location and operations of each exit and safety harness prior to each flight?
 
CFI AandP said:
Every flight in the Pitts starts with "In the event of a structural failure or fire, we will bail out. It is a wood and fabric airplane with 23 gallons of 100L. If it catches fire, it won't stay burning for long, we WILL bail out..."

Don't you brief each passenger with the number, location and operations of each exit and safety harness prior to each flight?
Click to expand...

If they don't already know it you bet, I also add ditching if we will be flying over water.
 
Fearless Tower said:
This thread reminds me of this difference between Navy and USMC flight crews. The Navy flight crews are always very insistent that every pax gets a safety briefing before boarding the aircraft. The Marines....not so much. If you fly on a Marine aircraft, they just toss you a rubber duckie and a cranial and load you into the bird. I guess they figure if the aircraft goes down, everybody dies. Kind of scary in the MV-22 since the escape hatches did not seem terribly intuitive.


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Click to expand...

Well the Marines will improvise, adapt, and overcome. The Navy needs a manual on how to do that. :rolleyes:
 
If you go in the drink ..blow bubbles..that way is up.

I took some training in huntsville AL where you do a "dunk and roll " . A fuselage is dropped in a dark bottom pool and then it rolls...disorienting as he'll..the training works ..your instincts likley won't.
 
I was taught unlatch the door prior to touchdown. In case something jams the the door.
 
Skylane81E said:
Unbuckle and get out, but brace before unbuckling if upside down. How you get out will depend on the plane and the orientation of the plane. For example the odds of getting the door open on a low wing (even if you popped it before impact) are very low if inverted, some planes have emergency exits, some don't, some have more than one door, some don't, some you can open the baggage door from inside, some you can't, etc.
Click to expand...

I did that "damn, that hurt" seat belt release without thinking about where I was going in a Jeep on its side. On its right side, and I rolled it.

When I fixated on releasing the belt and got it undone, which is hard to do when your full body weight is on the latch side, so you have to do a sideways chin-up on the left (up) side door... I ended up on the passenger side door. Kinda.

Feet get a little hung up in the footwell on the way, so I was lucky I didn't land on my head and have a neck injury. I still had ahold of the left side door with my left hand or I would have.

I will never be that hasty to unlatch a belt and GTFO when hanging from said belt, ever again, unless the thing is on fire.
 
I have some training advice for you. Keep this in the front of your mind at all times.

Don't Crash.
 
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