Two U.S. Senators think the FAA doesn't really know if an airliner can be evacuated in the required 90 seconds because, they say, the agency doesn't do realistic testing. They've offered a new bill, the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin act to force a change.
The bill, introduced by Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Tammy Baldwin, would require the FAA to do tests that use a variety of passenger variables, including children, people with disabilities, inability to speak English and so forth, and to do it in a more reasonable setting than the current 60-seat cabin mockup.
The test is usually done with a group of able-bodied adults with no carry-on or underseat bags and does not include seating as narrow or close together as can be found on many airlines today.
The senators say they're not trying to mandate changes in seat size or pitch, although that could be an outcome of the required test changes, once FAA has more realistic data to work with. On the other hand, they point out, it could also result in a conclusion that it can't be done in 90 seconds, and that a longer time might be the correct standard. They say having an accurate standard is also critical for proper training of aircrews.
The bill has drawn support from airline employee unions, including the Association of Flight Attendants, from consumer advocacy groups and from safety expert and former pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.
Airlines for America, the airline trade group, added a statement that does not make clear where they stand on the proposal: "The FAA, our industry’s safety regulator, is the global gold standard for safety in the skies, and we remain committed to working collaboratively to ensure aviation remains the safest mode of transportation in the world."
Comments (0)