WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – The aging of society also has an impact on rescuing people from airplanes. The duration of evacuations from aircraft increases with the age of the passengers, writes an international research team in the specialist journal “AIP Advances”. Accordingly, the internationally specified evacuation times are currently difficult to adhere to with a high proportion of older passengers.
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an aircraft must be completely evacuated within 90 seconds in the event of an emergency. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) also follows this approach. However, the current study shows that under realistic conditions with seniors on board, this goal was not achieved in any of 27 simulated scenarios. Even in the best-case scenario, passengers needed 141 seconds to exit a plane and reach the ground – almost a minute longer than the government requirement.
The scientists led by Chenyang Zhang from the Canadian University of Calgary examined the evacuation of an Airbus A320, one of the most frequently used aircraft types in the world. The basis was a scenario with a fire in both engines. In such a case, the emergency exits directly above the wings are impassable, so only the four exits in the front and rear of the cabin are available.
Proportion of seniors is crucial for the duration of the evacuation
For the study, the researchers used computer-based models and industry-standard simulation software to map human movement behavior in the confined cabin. Three different cabin layouts with three different proportions of passengers over 60 were combined. The results make it clear that both the percentage of seniors and their exact seating distribution significantly influence the rescue time.
According to the study, the delays are explained by the physical and mental characteristics of older people. In the simulations, a significantly lower walking speed was assumed for seniors. In addition, cognitive impairments in old age could reduce situational awareness and slow down decision-making in stressful situations. Decreasing fine motor skills can also make it difficult to get out of the seat.
Recommendations for the aviation industry
The longest evacuation time was measured at 218.5 seconds in a densely seated cabin with 80 percent older passengers. In order to minimize the risks mentioned, the authors suggest various measures: Airlines could specifically place older passengers near the exits or adapt the cabin architecture through wider aisles and optimized stopping options. In addition, special safety instructions for seniors could help shorten reaction times in an emergency.
The researchers admit that children, small children and pregnant women could also extend the evacuation time. They want to investigate this specifically in the future./ram/DP/e.g
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