Scouse Express

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-17730154

A few injuries, during the evacuation, at Gatwick.


Jim.

SultanOfSwing

Nice bit of professionalism exhibited by that stewardess, there

Scouse Express

At least she didn't say "Follow Me Down The Chute"


Jim.

SultanOfSwing

Yeah that wouldn't have gone down too well, either.

lansbury

She was doing exactly what she was trained to do.

In that situation you don't ask nicely "would you mind awfully jumping down the cute", you yell and push. They are trained to shout.

SultanOfSwing

I thought they were supposed to remain calm. Maybe it was sensationalised for the story.

Jerseygirl

Back in the mid 80's a plane caught fire as it was about to take off from Manchester (think it's destination was Corfu). Many people lost their lives that morning because they didn't vacate the plane quick enough.

http://aviation-safety.net/database/...?id=19850822-0

materialcontroller

Most of them choked to death after inhaling smoke. This is a very well known accident in aviation circles.

Jerseygirl

Yes they did. All the more reason to get the hell off the plane asap.

materialcontroller

Well this is why cabin crew are trained to such high standards these days. To manage the evacuation in a safe and orderly fashion. Most disasters happen when events become uncontrollable and people begin to panic.

Uncle Ebenezer

How awfully crass and un-British. On British-Raj Airways, you're handed a Pimms and a nice Indian chappy carries you down the chute.

lansbury

Having taken part in quite a few practice evacuations, playing a passenger at Heathrow for training, they are taught to shout and shout loudly. That crew would have been calm they have to deal with untrained public who must obey without question, and shouting has the effect of making people react first and wonder why afterwards. Also the crew by the doors are the ones shouting the commands so passengers can know by the sound where to go. Once at the door the natural instinct is to stop look down the chute and set yourself to jump. That delay costs lives. Get to the door expect a helping shove to send you on your way. The fact only four very slight injuries were reported was amazing. Even in practice people got hurt.

The CAA require an airline to be able to evacuate a fully loaded aircraft in 90 seconds. Even an A380 can be evacuated in that time, saw the video of the certification tests when they did it. The system works and works well. The knob was the idiot who told the BBC the crew panicked.

lansbury

Yes but they don't have riff raff traveling in steerage down the back. The nice people in first class know how to behave.

SultanOfSwing

Thus confirming my thought that it was sensationalised.

Probably wasn't anything like how it was described. Calm, yet authoratative would be the most likely way to have described it. Oh well.

sir_eccles

The knob was probably upset his game of Angry Birds was interrupted or something.