NTSB · Safety Recommendation
Safety Recommendation A-92-069
Recommendation
THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: ENSURE THAT FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRAINING PROGRAMS PROVIDE DETAILED GUIDANCE ON THE RELATIVE PROBABILITY OF HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH EMERGENCY SITUATIONS SUCH AS FIRE, TOXIC SMOKE, AND EXPLOSION.
Safety Issue and Context
IN SEVERAL RECENT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS, THE SAFETY BOARD FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH FLIGHT ATTENDANTS PROVIDED VALUABLE ASSISTANCE TO PASSENGERS DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, THEY DID NOT ALWAYS FOLLOW THEIR AIR CARRIER'S APPROVED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES OR PERFORM THEIR DUTIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH TRAINING. THE SAFETY BOARD REVIEWED ITS INVESTIGATIONS OF ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS WHERE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE ON FLIGHT ATTENDANT PERFORMANCE DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THERE WERE MANY EXAMPLES OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WHO HAVE PERFORMED EXTREMELY WELL, EVEN HEROICALLY, DURING LIFE-THEATENING EMERGENCIES AND WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR PREVENTING AND/OR MINIMIZING INJURIES TO PASSENGERS.
NONETHELESS, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY EXAMPLES OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WHO LACKED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES, OR WHO ACTED OTHERWISE CONTRARY TO THEIR TRAINING. IN 2 OF THE 24 EVACUATION CASES CITED IN THIS REPORT, THE ACTIONS OF SOME FLIGHT ATTENDANTS CONTRIBUTED TO AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PASSENGER INJURIES. IN SOME OF THE OTHER CASES, FLIGHT ATTENDANT ACTIONS CAME VERY CLOSE TO INCREASING THE NUMBER OF INJURIES. THE SAFETY BOARD IS CONCERNED THAT THESE SAME ACTIONS IN OTHER SITUATIONS COULD HAVE DISASTROUS RESULTS AND THAT FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRAINING MAY NOT ADEQUATELY PREPARE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS FOR ACTIONS THAT THEY MAY BE REQUIRED TO TAKE.
Response History
January 23, 1996 · NTSB Correspondence · FAA
THE BOARD NOTES THAT THE FAA ISSUED ACOB 1-94-22, "FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRAINING ON CONDITIONS OF AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING AN ACCIDNET," WHICH FULFILLS THE INTENT OF THIS RECOMMENDATION. BASED ON THIS ACTION, THE BOARD CLASSIFIES A-92-69 "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."
April 14, 1995 · Recipient Response · FAA
THE FAA ISSUED ACOB 1-94-22, FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRAINING ON CONDITIONS OF AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT. THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES INFO REGARDING THE TYPES OF HAZARDS FLIGHT ATTENDANTS COULD EXPECT IN TH EVENT OF A CRASH., THIS BULLETIN IS INCLUDED IN REVISED FAA ORDER 8430.17, CHAPTER 2,.
June 8, 1993 · NTSB Correspondence · FAA
THE BOARD NOTES THAT THE FAA PLANS TO ISSUE AN AIR CARRIER OPERATIONS BULLETIN (ACOB) TO ENSURE THAT THE SUBJECT AREAS OF THIS RECOMMENDATION ARE ADDRESSED IN FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRAINING PROGRAMS. THE BOARD BELIEVES THAT THIS ACOB SHOULD ALSO ADDRESS THE LOW PROBABILITY OF EXPLOSION IN A POSTCRASH ENVIRONMENT. PENDING FURTHER INFO, THE BOARD CLASSIFIES A-92-69 "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE."
October 26, 1992 · Recipient Response · FAA
WHILE THE FAA AGREES THAT FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF A CRASH, IT DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT FLIGHT ATTENDANTS NEED TO KNOW OR ASSESS THE RELATIVE PROBABILITY OF AN OCCURRENCE. FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SHOULD KNOW THAT AN AIRPLANE MAY BREAK APART, THAT THERE MAY BE DEBRIS IN THE AISLE, THAT FIRE IS A LIKELY EVENT, AND WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF TOXIC SMOKE. CONSEQUENTLY, THE FAA WILL ISSUE AN AIR CARRIER OPERATIONS BULLETIN (ACOB) TO ENSURE THAT THESE SUBJECT AREAS ARE ADDRESSED IN FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRAINING PROGRAMS.