Paul RichfieldATI, Washington
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) plans to study the phenomenon of passengers reaching for their luggage when they should be running for the safety slide.
The problem was illustrated last week in Charlotte, North Carolina, when a US Airways Fokker 100 suffered a landing- gear collapse after landing.
No one was hurt, but many of the 104 passengers aboard refused to leave their carry-on luggage behind.
"This kind of behaviour is common," says NTSB's Pat Cariseo. "People just refuse to part with their belongings, even when their lives may be at stake."
"We have video of a Peoples Express Boeing 727 evacuation that shows people going down the slide with suitcases in each hand," Cariseo says.
"One passenger sent a bag full of liquor bottles down the slide - which smashed - cutting other passengers with the broken glass."
Flight attendants have long complained that carry-on luggage poses a safety hazard, and their grievances were aired this week at a conference held by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), the largest flight attendants' union.
Source: Flight Daily News
