Trial Evacuation Of Boeing Aircraft

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31864, 17 December 1968, Page 22

Trial Evacuation Of Boeing Aircraft

It took 93 seconds for 90 passengers to evacuate a National Airways Corporation Boeing 737 during a simulated emergency after an aborted take-off at Christchurch airport on Friday night. The exercise was held inside a darkened hangar just after normal flying for the day had ended. The passengers had to be, by Civil Aviation stipulation, unfamiliar with the aircraft. Most were relatives of N.A.C. employees. The passengers were broken down into percentages according to age and sex. They had to represent a normal group of passengers. For the sake of the emergency evacuation only three of the emergency exits were permitted to be used, one of them allowing passengers to clamber out along the aircraft’s wing. To make sure no damage was done a platform and guard rail were placed near the exit to protect the aircraft.

When the signal was given to evacuate everything went smoothly, according to an N.A.C. spokesman. The Boeing company considers 90 seconds as sufficient

time to evacuate the aircraft. In the trial, the first to be held on a Boeing 737 in New Zealad, the passengers were all out in 74 seconds. The crew took 18 seconds. There was a slight delay as a crew member tried to grab a firstaid kit without unfastening the straps holding it. The same spokesman said the Civil Aviation Division were quite happy with the trial. Such emergency evacuation trials are mandatory for United States airlines. They also provide valuable experience in emergency procedures for crews. Had the trial not gone well the Civil Aviation Division would have ordered another within about three months with a new group of passengers, a new crew and in a different set of emergency conditions.

Freeville School.—The presentation of certificates and awards to pupils of the Freeville School was made by Mrs R. Neal, wife of the chairman of the school committee. The duxes were Brent Porter and Susan Scott.