Fire on AA airplane in Denver

[Skippy722]

Also Devil’s advocate - Is the nebulizer worth the life of those several people delayed by your retrieval?

In an actual aircraft fire, people live and die by seconds. Those people who retrieve their bags take seconds away from those behind them. Seconds in retrieving the bag, more seconds in fumbling through the cabin with the bag.

If people leave everything and simply move to the exit, you can evacuate the airplane in 90 seconds.

If people grab their stuff - it can take several minutes. I’ve seen it take 15 minutes for people who try and grab their stuff.

In a real fire, that could cause dozens of deaths, perhaps more.

Move quickly. Leave everything behind.

I get it, those rules are written in blood. I guess I’m trying to understand the mindset behind the people who do that.

 

[Cujet]

As an aviation professional and having experienced in flight electrical fires, engine failures, bird strikes, landing gear failures and more, I know first hand that getting out of a burning aircraft is a very good idea. However, it is also my job to get others out first. I've gone through the training where they 'fog' the actual cabin of our company jet, and we pull the emergency exits and assist people out. Even with our regular passengers such as my boss+wife and kids and friends, it was just like 'herding cats'.

People don't understand instructions and really only listen if you 'bark' at them. They panic, can't hear what you say, and don't understand. Even in training.

They had our cabin fogged so thickly, it was impossible to see anything. What an eye opener, I have little hope for the general public being able to follow directions under difficult circumstances.

 

[edyvw]

I get it, those rules are written in blood. I guess I’m trying to understand the mindset behind the people who do that.

People do dumb stuff when they panic. We had that discussion about those Tesla door handles. In theory, that works great; in real life, it does not.
Going on an airplane is not a right but a privilege. An extremely complex machine that is made to fly. When things go south, they become chaotic, and everyone is in that survival mode. Everyone thinks something might go wrong with an airplane, but that guy obviously did not think: what if?
1. Get out. Even if medicine, etc. is in the bag. There are EMS folks outside; they have everything there to help if someone has an issue.
2. That kid is big! It is 8-10 years old. Let it go alone down the slide. Kids are better at that than adults. He barely stood up; he fell with her. I know the instinct, but there also has to be a rational decision-making to achieve safety. Baby, toddlers, fine, but you as an adult are not as good on a slide as a 9-year-old kid. Period. If I did things my 6yrs old and 9yrs old did, I would kill myself. And kids might do dumb stuff, but they are not dumb.

We take safety for granted. We don't think about what goes into making sure that airplane goes from point A to point B safely. We expect things to be done for us, that we are just observers, but very quickly, you can get from being a passenger to being part of that problem.

 

[ccs368]

I’ll like to hear if anyone knows or read about anyone on these emergency evacuations witnessing the flight crew beside the door yelling “leave your #@cking belongings behind and single file jump off onto slide!!!” It seemed so chaotic and no one assisting outside. There has to be training on what instructions are repeated to passengers inside.

 

[2005jettatdi]

I have little hope for the general public being able to follow directions under difficult circumstances.

Many years ago we had a fire drill at our Catholic church. Everyone was told to head for the exits without stopping for anything, including holy water. Almost everyone stopped to bless themselves with the holy water, making it take far too long to empty the church. People just will not follow directions.

 

[y_p_w]

Many years ago we had a fire drill at our Catholic church. Everyone was told to head for the exits without stopping for anything, including holy water. Almost everyone stopped to bless themselves with the holy water, making it take far too long to empty the church. People just will not follow directions.

Was there enough holy water to put out a small fire?

 

[edyvw]

Was there enough holy water to put out a small fire?

 

[y_p_w]

I went to Catholic elementary school. I wasn't Catholic, but as students we were required to go to "first Friday" mass on the first Friday of every month regardless, so I know a little bit about Catholic practices. I do remember holy water at the exit on either side of the main door. Didn't seem like much. But I thought it was a silly joke on my part.

 

[Astro14]

I’ll like to hear if anyone knows or read about anyone on these emergency evacuations witnessing the flight crew beside the door yelling “leave your #@cking belongings behind and single file jump off onto slide!!!” It seemed so chaotic and no one assisting outside. There has to be training on what instructions are repeated to passengers inside.

The training is performed in simulators with exits that work, or don’t, and smoke, noise and people who aren’t cooperating. It’s hard, and stressful. The commands are standard, and flight attendants must yell them out precisely as directed to pass the evaluation.

 

[97prizm]

You really do have wonder how many deaths have been caused by people trying to to rescue their belongings.

I can't remember which flight but one in England in the late 70's early 80's if I remember was what changed alot of emergency exit rules. The plane caught fire and passengers ended up crawling over the seats and pushing each other out of the way.

 

[edyvw]

Yeah, people became too selfish: