Evacuation
Getting everyone off the aircraft through the exits within 90 seconds, on the captain's command or the crew's own assessment.
Definition
An evacuation is the emergency removal of all passengers and crew from the aircraft via the exits and slides, ordered by the captain or initiated by cabin crew when the situation is catastrophic and the flight deck cannot be reached. Aircraft are certified on the requirement that a full cabin can be emptied in 90 seconds using half the exits. Crew assess each exit for fire, water or obstruction before opening it, then shout standard commands until the cabin is clear.
What it means for you
You are trained to make the evacuation decision yourself if the captain cannot, and to redirect passengers away from an unusable exit — the exit assessment is the most consequential judgement in the job. Commands are shouted, short and rehearsed until they are automatic; the drill in every recurrent is not theatre. Crew leave last, after checking the cabin, with the safety equipment they are assigned.
In practice
A crew member at door 2L on an A320 sees fire on the left engine through the window, blocks the exit with the command "exit blocked, go that way" and redirects passengers across to 2R, where the slide is already deployed.
Related terms
4 terms- Emergency exitSafety & trainingAny door or hatch certified for evacuation — the doors crew operate and the overwing exits passengers are briefed to open.
- Brace positionSafety & trainingThe body position passengers and crew adopt before an emergency landing to reduce injury on impact.
- Door armingSafety & trainingSetting a cabin door so the escape slide deploys automatically when it is opened — done before push-back, undone after arrival.
- SEPSafety & trainingSafety and Emergency Procedures — the core safety syllabus every cabin crew member is trained and re-examined on.