The uncontained engine failure and fire that occurred Sept. 8 on a British Airways Boeing 777 during takeoff from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas appears to be a good example of an emergency demonstrating the speed at which passengers can be evacuated from an aircraft. But some passengers’ published photos and videos show that a number of them insisted on taking their carry-on baggage with them during the evacuation. Not only does this impede the evacuation process, there is added risk of damage to evacuation slides that may then render some exits useless. No doubt, investigators will be seeking a greater understanding of this aspect of the accident.
This event has also prompted me to raise another concern related to passenger and cabin crew situational awareness. I fly regularly on a number of international air carriers that require all passenger window shades to be open for takeoff and landing. An excellent reason for this is to aid the situational awareness of passeng…
