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How does an evacuation slide work?
An escape slide sits inside a carbon fiber pressure cap covered by a casing of material similar to the aircraft interior walls—that big square box at the bottom of an airliner’s interior door. When the lever is in the “armed” position, opening the door pulls the slide out of its pack.
Where are the emergency slides located?
The slides are stored in cabinets usually beside the emergency exit inside the aircraft.
What is an unplanned emergency?
Unplanned emergencies are sudden events which send the plane into emergency landing, such as catastrophic weather or terrorist attacks.
What are the different types of evacuation slides?
There are two types of aircraft evacuation slides: slides and slide/rafts. A slide is for use only on land as a means of escape, although it has sufficient buoyancy to allow passengers to hold on to a lanyard running the length of it and use it as a buoyancy aid.
How do you activate an emergency evacuation slide?
To activate the slide, one must pull the front cover to a 90 degree angle, then pull the slide out so it is lying flat on the floor or door sill, open the emergency exit and kick or push it out. Gravity will then pull the slide to the ground and it will inflate.
Can a overwing evacuation slide be used in ditching?
Typically, overwing evacuation slides are not designed for use in ditching situations as they cannot be detached. and will not operate, as the system is disabled by the aspirators on the slide taking in water.
How tall does an escape slide have to be on an airplane?
An escape slide is required on all commercial (passenger carrying) aircraft where the door sill height is such that, in the event of an evacuation, passengers would be unable to step down from the door uninjured ( Federal Aviation Administration requires slides on all aircraft doors where the floor is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above the ground).