Emergency evacuation triggered by false alert
In the world of aviation, safety is paramount, and emergency procedures are meticulously planned to ensure the well-being of passengers and crew. However, not all aircraft adhere to the same emergency evacuation standards, particularly medium-haul jets.
Some medium-haul jets may lack emergency slides on overwing exits due to their design, evacuation requirements, and safety protocol considerations. According to industry standards, larger aircraft like widebodies have more doors and slides, but not all exits are used in every evacuation. In some medium-haul aircraft, evacuation is designed to rely primarily on main doors equipped with slides, and overwing exits, if present, may not have slides depending on the aircraft type and evacuation strategies.
Aircraft certified for evacuations must have sufficient exits and means for quick evacuation within 90 seconds. If the seating layout and number of doors meet these criteria without wing slides, they may not be installed. For example, some narrow-body jets (often used on medium-haul routes) have overwing exits that passengers can use to jump off the wing onto the ground in an emergency, but these do not feature inflatable slides.
However, the absence of emergency slides on wings can pose risks during evacuations, especially when passengers have to jump from heights onto the tarmac. This was evident in a recent incident at Palma airport, where a Ryanair flight to Manchester was evacuated due to a false fire alarm. Passengers had to exit the plane via emergency exits, with some jumping from around three meters onto the tarmac. While none of the injuries were reported to be serious, a total of 18 people received medical treatment, with six being taken to the hospital.
Contrasting this, in March 2018, a Southwest Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing in Albuquerque while flying from Phoenix to Dallas due to a strange smell and smoke in the cabin, and a fire warning was triggered. In this instance, the inflatable emergency slides were used during the evacuation, minimising injuries.
It is essential to note that the use of overwing exits without slides can lead to injuries, and evacuations over wings can be dangerous, especially if panic breaks out. This underscores the importance of understanding the specific emergency procedures for each aircraft type.
Ryanair issued a statement saying that a small number of passengers sustained very minor injuries during the evacuation at Palma airport. The airline quickly organised a replacement flight that departed the next morning, preventing passengers from having to return to their hotel.
In conclusion, whether emergency slides are present on wings during evacuations depends on the medium-haul jet's design certification, evacuation capability, and how exits are intended to be used safely. Not all medium-haul aircraft require wing slides if the primary doors provide adequate evacuation measures, although this can lead to passengers sometimes jumping from wings during emergencies, which is riskier. Airlines and aviation authorities continue to work towards improving safety measures and procedures to minimise risks during emergency evacuations.
- Medium-haul jets, unlike larger aircraft, may not have emergency slides on overwing exits due to design, evacuation, and safety considerations.
- In some cases, evacuation on medium-haul aircraft primarily relies on main doors equipped with slides, and overwing exits, if present, may not have slides, depending on the aircraft type and evacuation strategies.
- The absence of emergency slides on wings during evacuations can pose risks, as seen in a recent incident at Palma airport, where passengers had to jump from heights onto the tarmac, leading to minor injuries and medical treatment.
