Availability of Passenger Availability of Passenger Safety Information for Safety Information for Improved Survival in Improved Survival in Aircraft AccidentsAircraft Accidents

Office of Aviation MedicineWashington, D.C. 20591

Donna K. CosperAdvancia CorporationOklahoma City, OK 73104

Garnet A. McLeanCivil Aerospace Medical InstituteFederal Aviation AdministrationOklahoma City, OK 73125

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Introduction

FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 121-24 BFAA Advisory Circular (AC) 121-24 B• “…an alert, knowledgeable person has a much better

chance of surviving a life-threatening situation that occurs during passenger-carrying operations in civil aviation.”

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National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Report 2000

• Investigated 46 evacuations between September 1997 and June 1999

• 2,651 passengers involved in emergency evacuations

• Evacuations were ordered by the crew or initiated by passengers perceiving a threat

• Evacuations occurred every 11 days, on average.

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Critical FactorsQuestionnaire

• Preflight safety briefing

• Emergency exits

• Carry-on baggage

• Evacuation slides

• Passenger behavior

• Use of seat belts

• Communication

• Injury

• Post-evacuation events

• Personal information

Continental Airlines, 2/19/96, Houston, TX - The aircraft suffered a landing gear collapse after touchdown. Fatalities: 0:86

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Misconception AmongAirline Passengers

• Passengers believe that 75% of transport airline accidents are fatal, i.e., without hope for survival. (Johnson, 1984) & (Parkinson and Muir, 1995)

Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 - Took off on a closed runway during a typhoon and crashed into construction equipment on the runway. 96 of 179 survived

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ExamplesAir Canada Flight 797 - Douglas DC-9-32, June 2, 198318 passengers and five crew escaped the airplane.

The aircraft suffered an in-flight lavatory fire and made an emergency landing at the Cincinnati /

Northern Kentucky International Airport. The file had already consumed a large portion of the

cabin, however, and 23 passengers died.

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Exit Row Problems Identified

• Failure to attend to the safety information provided.

• Lack of understanding that they should assess outside conditions before opening the exit.

• Difficulty making the decision to open the exit door.

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Impediment to Rapid Emergency Evacuation

• 457 passengers replied to the NTSB questionnaire.• Only 25 individuals reported having no bags with them

inside in the airplane.

• 208 reported they attempted to carry a bag outside during the emergency evacuation.

• Competitive passenger behavior was an unexpected obstacle.

• 12.1% reported climbing over seats to get out of the plane while 20.4% reported they observed others climbing over seats.

• 29% reported having seen passengers being pushed, 18.7% indicated they had been pushed, and 5.6% indicated they personally pushed another passenger.

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Precautionary Emergency Evacuations (PEEvacs)

• 1/1/88 – 12/31/96 500 PEEvacs occurred, once a week, on average.

• The 500 PEEvacs involved approximately 6,000 passengers, at a direct monetary cost of more than $11 million annually to the airline (Hynes,2000), which resulted in large part from passenger injuries.

• Hynes concluded that one of the ways to prevent passenger injuries associated with PEEvacs is to improve passenger safety information and instruction. This conclusion reaffirms the findings of the NTSB Safety Study (2000) regarding the need for better passenger education.

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Methods• The study was conducted to identify the aircraft safety and accident

survival information currently available to the flying public.

• Resources reviewed for this study included all materials supplied to passengers by the largest 15 major airlines and 25 minor airlines flying in U.S. airspace.

• Additional information and materials were found using an exhaustive search of Internet websites, books, periodical publications, and journal articles of government agencies, aviation training programs, educational and academic sources, aircraft manufacturers, consultants, U.S. military, corporations, and non-profit companies.

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Important FactorsConsidered

• Up-to-date information regarding travel preparation

• In-flight things to know list

• Emergency aircraft operations plan

• Emergency procedures

• Safety concerns and issues list

• Post-emergency survival topics

• Prohibited goods list

• Medical information

• International travel information

• Airport requirements

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Results

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Sampling of information sources surveyed

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Sampling of information sources surveyed, cont.

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Discussion• Accident reports indicate that

passengers are generally uninformed about airplane accidents, emergency evacuations, and accident-survival issues.

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Discussion• Most passengers believe that

survival in an airplane accident is highly unlikely, although the reverse situation is, in fact, true.

• Importantly, it has been recognized that if passengers believe they can influence their own survival, they will be more willing to attend to safety information.

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Discussion• A 1995 study by Parkinson and

Muir showed that increased awareness generated via safety training raised passenger awareness of other important safety issues and increased passenger motivation to pay attention to the safety information available which led to increased behavioral effectiveness in an emergency.

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Discussion• Creative and effective methods

should be employed to enhance and convey safety information for passengers, in order to achieve the goal of assuring that air travelers have the information necessary for effective survival in any emergency.

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Recommendations

The following educational strategy for air travelers will support the goals of being proactive regarding passenger education:

1. A comprehensive aircraft safety education curriculum should be developed.

a. Survey made of known travel safely information outside aviation.b. Surveys should be made to obtain information from the general

public as to exactly what they know regarding safety in all emergencies.

The following educational strategy for air travelers will support the goals of being proactive regarding passenger education:

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Recommendations, cont.

2. Proactive safety-procedures training should be developed and taught in public schools as part of a first aid and lifesaving skills training curriculum.

3. Travel safety information should be broadcast on the public broadcast channels.

4. The Passenger section of the FAA Internet website should be enhanced and a plan to inform the general public of its existence should be created to address current deficiencies in passenger aircraft safety education.

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Recommendations, cont.Topics should include: Safety and Survival InformationSafe Flight Information• Safety On The Tarmac

• In-Flight Health

• Preparedness For Emergencies

In-Flight Emergency Info• Know Your Exits

• Seat Belts

• Exit Row Seating

• Turbulence

• Electronics / Safety

• Decompression

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Additional Information• Oxygen Mask• Brace for Crash Positions• Flotation Devices• Fire & Smoke• Using The Escape Slide• Post-Crash Emergency Information • Crash On Take-off or Landing• Panic• Fire & Smoke• Ditching• Rescue• Stress Reaction

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Additional InformationBefore You Travel• How to Pack• What to Wear• Checking Flight Status• Traveler Services• Bereavement

At the Airport• Identification• Health• Children and Flying• Travelers With Special Needs• Traveling With Pets• How To File Airline Complaints

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Additional Information

Baggage Tips• Things to Bring

• Things NOT to Bring

• Carry-on Baggage

• Checked Baggage

• Wrapped Packages

• Sporting Equipment

• Musical Instruments

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