There is an old saying that FAA regulations “are written in blood”. This is a disturbing statement, but true. And because of it, aviation today is an exceptionally safe mode of transportation.
Errors made in aircraft design, production, maintenance, as well as operations by pilots, companies and air traffic control that result in accidents are evaluated by the NTSB, the FAA, and employee unions. The goal of all of these groups is to stop further accidents. As noble as that goal is, airplanes will continue to crash.
When an aircraft crashes and the the wreckage comes to rest, it is now the job of the cabin crew to evacuate the survivors. The value of a competent cabin crew is essential. They must have the training, the authority, and the will to rapidly evacuate the aircraft.
The cabin crew of Asiana Flight 214 was able to get all but two out of the aircraft. Had they delayed the evacuation, there likely would have been more deaths and injuries from the fire. The competence of the Asiana cabin crew is in part due to the lessons we have learned from the past.
One of the biggest advances in cabin safety came after an FAA test of what was hoped to be a fire resistant fuel. The test was a complete failure, however the unexpected data from the cabin made major changes to aircraft design and flight attendant training. That data showed the post-impact survivability quickly diminished as the cabin filled with lethal smoke. Changes were made to aircraft interior materials and the focus of rapidly evacuating passengers was incorporated into airline training programs.
Other notable accidents that changed cabin safety were:
Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 163 for a failure in crew resource management.
Tower Air Flight 41 for failures in maintenance related to cabin safety and the training of the cabin crew.
TWA Flight 843 for the successful evacuation of everyone onboard; in this case what went right.
The cabin crew of Asiana 214 was likely thinking of deplaning and the layover in San Francisco. In an instant, they assumed their primary role of cabin safety. The training they received from the lessons we have learned enabled them to save the lives of 99% of the people on board.
David Williams, a former airline pilot currently involved in aviation safety, is a NYCAviation writer.
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