Cabin Operations
Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
Flight Operations Briefing Notes
Cabin Operations
Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
I Introduction
Planned ditching in commercial aviation is a rare occurrence. During a planned
ditching, the cabin crew may have prior notice, and therefore, sufficient time to
prepare the cabin, or to advise passengers to put on their life vests. The flight and
cabin crew coordination will have a high impact on the outcome of the evacuation in
case of a planned ditching.
On the other hand there is no or little time for the cabin crew to prepare the
passengers when an unplanned ditching occurs. In the event of an unplanned
ditching the attitude of the flight and cabin crewmembers and their immediate actions
are key factors for the success of the evacuation and survival of passengers.
II Statistical Data – Background Information
Planned Ditching
A report of the CAAP said that the statistical chances of surviving a ditching were high
as it was estimated from UK and USA data that 88 percent of controlled ditching result
in few injuries to flight crew or passengers.
Unplanned Ditching
Many inadvertent landings on water (referred to as an Unplanned Ditching) have been
documented. During an unplanned ditching, there is no time for the cabin crew to
advise the passengers to don life vests or adopt the brace position.
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
A ditching, when executed correctly, is survivable. During a planned ditching the cabin
crew have notice, and therefore, sufficient time to prepare the cabin, or to advise
passengers to put on their life vests. (Extract from the NTSB report)
However, an NTSB study of Air Carrier water contact accidents indicates that these
accidents are usually unplanned, with no time to prepare. Most accidents occur during
the takeoff and landing phases of flight, and usually within proximity of the airport.
Many water contact accidents occur during the hours of darkness.
There is usually a lot of damage to the aircraft. In some cases, the cabin has flooded
quickly, and the aircraft has sunk within minutes.
II.1 Planned Ditching Briefing
The Flight Crew/Cabin Crew Briefing
The Flight crew will deliver the following information to the Purser:
• Nature of the emergency (ditching)
• Time available (check watch)
• Special instructions
• Brace signal
In the event of a planned ditching the flight crew will not give the instruction to remain
seated to the Purser. As the aircraft may sink rapidly after impact everyone will have to
evacuate immediately.
The Purser/Cabin Crew Briefing
The Purser will note the time in order to prepare the cabin according to the time
available before the aircraft ditching. The Purser will transmit the information given by
the flight crew and will instruct the crewmember to:
• Take their position
• Be prepared for the emergency announcement and demonstration.
The Cabin Crew/Passenger Briefing
The situation should be announced to passengers. The flight crew should make the
announcement but in case of workload in the cockpit it may be delegated to the Purser.
The Purser informs passengers about:
• The nature of the emergency
• The coming preparation of the cabin.
• The attention and respect of passengers to cabin crewmembers instructions
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
When the instructions and demonstrations are performed some conditions should be
respected:
• The cabin dividers should be open
• The cabin lighting should be turned to bright
• The entertainment system switched off
The cabin crew should be ready to demonstrate the Emergency Briefing in their
assigned area. The crewmembers must have their own life vest before starting the
briefing.
In order to deliver an effective briefing, the crewmembers should respect some
conditions:
• Stay in the assigned area
• Ensure all passengers can see the demonstration
• Do not talk during the announcements
• Coordinate the demonstration with the announcement.
When reading the announcement, the Purser should speak slowly, distinctly and pause
at key points in order to give cabin crewmembers time to don their life vests,
demonstrate, and check passenger compliance.
II.2 The Emergency Checklist
The Life vest
Crewmembers should simultaneously don their life vest and demonstrate to the
passengers, as follows:
• Remove the life vest from the pouch
• Unfold the life vest and hold it up for the passengers to see
• Don the life vest
• Secure straps
• Identify light (if applicable)
• Identify whistle (if applicable)
If an adult life vest is to be used for a child, adapt it accordingly. If available, distribute
and explain to passengers how to use other flotation equipment, such as baby survival
cots.
When demonstrating the life vest use, the purser must insist that passengers
must inflate their life vests only when they are outside of the aircraft.
The reasons for not inflating a life vest until outside the airplane are that the life vest
punctures more easily, it makes movement more difficult and it can affect the efficiency
of the brace position.
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
The Brace Position
It is a protective position that passengers must adopt before the impact of the aircraft
on ground or water. It is one of the most important items in preparing for an
emergency.
This position has a dual function. Firstly, it reduces the extent of body flailing, as
passengers must lean or bend over their legs. Secondly, it protects the head from
hitting a surface.
This position is adapted according to the seat location:
• Facing a seat back or a bulkhead
• Forward facing or Aft facing seat with safety belt and shoulder harness.
It is also adapted if passengers are:
• Pregnant women
• Holding infants
• A larger size
Note – examples of brace positions can be found in Flight Operations Briefing
Note Planned Ground Evacuation
Emergency Exit
Cabin crew will point out the location of the nearest emergency exits and the floor
proximity exit path lighting.
Overwing exit
The cabin crew should demonstrate how to evacuate an overwing exit. As the overwing
exits do not have flotation aids, the cabin crew should indicate the location of the
nearest slide/raft to passengers that are seated at overwing exits.
Loose Items
Some items can become projectiles in the cabin during landing if they are not stowed:
• Carry on baggage
• Shoes without laces or heeled shoes
• Handbags
• Laptops
• Briefcases.
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
All these items should be placed in an overhead bin, closet or under a seat.
If high/stiletto heeled shoes and sharp objects are removed, because of their potential
to damage the slide, they should not be stowed in a seat pocket. There is a possibility
that they may injure passengers when taking the brace position.
Seat pockets should only be used to stow small objects such as pens and eyeglasses.
Cabin crew should also remove items such as pens, badges and wing pins.
Able Bodied Passengers (ABP)
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines able-bodied passengers as
“passengers selected by crewmembers to assist in managing emergency situations if
and as required”.
The selection of Able Bodied Passengers may be based on their ability to understand
instructions, their physical ability, and their ability to stay calm. They can be chosen
from people such as:
• Deadheading crewmembers
• Military personnel
• Police
• Fire personnel
• Medical personnel
• People who respond to instruction.
The ABP should be reseated at exits. The reseating action should not separate families,
as the ABP will be more concerned about their family than about the aircraft
evacuation.
The crewmembers should select three ABPs for each exit and they should be briefed as
follows:
• To replace the cabin crewmember in case the crewmember becomes incapacitated
• How to assess conditions outside the aircraft, for example, identify exit
usable/unusable (determined by water level)
• How to open the exit
• How to protect oneself from going overboard, and to remain in the assist space
• To manually inflate the slide /slideraft
• Commands to be used during evacuation,
• How to board the slide/ slideraft and distribute passengers evenly
• How to disconnect the slide/slideraft
• How to cut the mooring line to release the slide/slideraft from the aircraft.
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
If additional rafts are carried on board, the ABPs should be briefed on how to:
• Take the raft to the exit
• Use the mooring line to attach the raft to a fixed part of the aircraft, for example, a
passenger seat
• Launch the slide/slideraft (the raft must be thrown outside the aircraft)
• Manually-inflate the slide/slideraft, in case it does not inflate.
• Board the slide/slideraft and distribute passengers evenly.
The role of the ABPs is also to help people that require assistance including:
• Disabled
• Elderly
• Unaccompanied minors
• People traveling alone with more than one child.
Securing the Cabin
When the passenger briefing has been completed, the final cabin secure is required, as
follows:
• Seat belts fastened
• Seat backs in the up-right position
• Tray tables closed and latched
• Armrests down
• Carry on baggage stowed and secure
• Overhead bins closed and latched
• Aisles clear of all obstructions
• Service items cleared
• Cabin dividers open.
The lavatories should be vacated and locked and the galley equipment should be
secured as follows:
• Close and lock all containers
• Ensure that carts are correctly stowed and secured
• Switch off all galley power and pull all galley circuit breakers.
When all the checklist items are complete, the Purser will notify the flight crew and ask
for an update of the situation, and the amount of time remaining.
The emergency lights should be switched on and the cabin lights switched off.
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
Cabin crewmembers should take their seats, adjust the harness, begin a silent review
and be prepared to brace when the command comes from the flight crew
(approximately 1 minute before ditching).
III Operational Standards For a Planned Ditching
III.1 The Evacuation
When the order to evacuate is received, each cabin crewmember must proceed as
follows:
• Open seat belt, grasp frame assist handle
• Check outside conditions and if safe, operate exit
• At the same time shout to the passengers – EVACUATE, EVACUATE, OPEN SEAT
BELTS. If exit safe – COME THIS WAY
If the door is usable, then the following actions should be done:
• Deploy the slide/slideraft
• Pull the red manual inflation handle (Do not wait for automatic inflation of the
slide/slideraft)
If the water level is close to the doorsill:
• Leave the slide/slideraft attached to cabin floor
• Instruct passengers to inflate their life vests when boarding slideraft
• Assist passengers to board the slideraft
If the water level is too far away from the doorsill:
• Disconnect the slide/slideraft from the door sill (the slide/slideraft remains tied to
the aircraft by a 6-meter [20 feet] mooring line)
• Hold the mooring line
• Passengers inflate their life vests when boarding slide/slideraft
• Passengers board slideraft
When all the passengers have evacuated, each cabin crew should board a slideraft and
perform the following actions:
• Cut the mooring line
• Retrieve the survival kit (available with the slideraft)
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
III.2 Post Ditching
During the survival and until rescued, passengers and crewmembers must keep their
life vests on. The crew will organize the survival in the raft as follows:
• Erect the canopy to prevent wind-chill hypothermia from affecting wet bodies and to
assist rescue services to locate the sliderafts
• Administer first aid to injured passengers
• Ensure that the weight is evenly distributed to avoid the raft from capsizing
• Keep the raft clean and dry to prevent illness and infection
• Use the survival kit equipment to indicate location
III.3 The Rescue
When an aircraft or a ship has been sighted, all the signaling equipment available
should be used to attract attention. Occupants must stop signaling as the craft
approaches.
The crewmembers and passengers must follow the instructions of the rescue personnel,
and remain in the raft until instructed.
IV Operational Standards For an Unplanned Ditching
In any unprepared emergency the reaction of the cabin crew will depend largely on
their situational awareness skill and their ability to identify an abnormal situation and
react accordingly.
The Silent Review
During take-off and landing phases near water or during a flight when life vest
demonstration is required, the use of the Silent Review will highlight the situational
awareness of the cabin crew in the case of an unexpected event. They will review for
example the following situations:
• The commands to be used
• The cabin environment
• How to initiate evacuation
• Operation of exits
• How to access outside conditions
• What equipment to take
• How to use the slideraft
• How to manage passengers in the water
• How to manage passengers in the raft.
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The Impact Phase
The unplanned ditching is more likely to occur near airports built close to water than at
sea or in extended surfaces of water. So during the takeoff and landing phases the
crewmembers will realize rapidly if the situation is deteriorating and will shout the
commands for the “Brace” position:
“Heads down”, “Hold your ankles”, “Stay down”.
This position will reduce the amount of injury to the passengers and give them a
chance of being able to evacuate the aircraft. The commands should be given until the
aircraft has come to a complete stop.
The Evacuation Phase
The cabin crew will assess outside conditions:
• If the aircraft is floating or sinking
• If the water level is present at exits
There can be 2 different situations and the cabin crew will have to react accordingly:
Situation I
The following actions will be taken if the aircraft is floating:
• The cabin crew will shout the commands for the life vests:
− “Life vests under your seats”
− “Tear open the pouch”
− “Place over your heads”
− “Fasten straps tight around waist”
− “Inflate when leaving the aircraft”
• They will direct passengers to the usable exits or redirect them if the exits become
unusable
• Passengers will board the slideraft.
Situation II
The following actions will be taken if the aircraft is sinking rapidly:
• The crewmembers will direct passengers out the nearest opening, exit
• Instruct passengers to support themselves, by holding anything that will keep them
afloat (seat cushions for example)
• Find as much flotation equipment (live vests) as time permits and distribute it to
passengers
• Leave the aircraft.
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
If the overwing exits are usable, attach the ditching line to the hook on the wing.
Instruct passengers to step on to the wing, inflate their life vest, and hold on to the
lifeline. If circumstances permit, keep the passengers together on the wing until rescue
arrives. Alternatively guide the sliderafts to the wing and assist the passengers into the
sliderafts.
Throughout the evacuation phase the crewmembers must be assertive and maintain
control of the situation.
The Post Evacuation Phase
If the aircraft is near an airport, assistance and rescue will not be far away. However,
crewmembers must remain in control of the situation and keep passengers together.
If passengers are in the water waiting for rescue they should immediately adopt the
following measures to conserve body heat and avoid hypothermia:
• Form a circle facing towards the center
• Keep close together and maintain a tight circle
• Sandwich children within the middle of the group to protect them
• Talk to each other to maintain morale
• Remain still as swimming uses energy.
V Factors Affecting the Operational Standards
Analysis of events reveal that the operational standards can be ineffective or non
applicable in the following situations:
• Incorrect application of the procedure:
− The cabin crew disarm the slide before opening the door as they believe that the
slide would float upward and block the exit due to the closeness of the water
• Lack of training:
− The cabin crew have difficulty to put a capsized raft in the right position
• Inadequate airline policy:
− The aircraft is equipped with seat cushions as flotation aids instead of live vests,
but the passenger briefing cards describe the use of life vest and there is a
placard on each seat stating ‘life vest under your seat’
• The cabin crew do not know what procedure to apply to a particular situation:
− The exit door is under the level of water
• Ineffective communication with flight crew:
− The flight crew notify the purser to prepare the cabin for ditching. The purser
does not understand that it will be the only warning and assumes the flight crew
will give further instructions before the aircraft hits the water.
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
VI Prevention Strategies
It is impossible to prevent an unexpected event such as an unplanned ditching.
However the following prevention strategies should be developed for a planned
ditching:
• The preflight safety demonstration will review the appropriate amendments (the use
of life vest and flotation-seat cushions) to the normal safety demonstration.
• The passengers will know the appropriate Brace Position and when and how to
operate the overwing exits in case of an emergency event by means of the safety
instruction card
• Cabin crew should be regularly trained to on the procedures in the case of planned
and unplanned ditching
• Good communication between flight and cabin crew will enable the crewmembers to
perform an effective cabin preparation if an emergency event occurs
• Detailed documented procedures should be provided to cabin crew by the airline
VII Summary of Key points
• Airlines should encourage the cabin crew to use the Silent Review policy as a useful
tool. It enables the cabin crew to be prepared for an unexpected event
• In the event of an unplanned ditching the reactions of the crewmembers are
important as they will have a direct effect on the chances of survival
• Airlines should plan regular training courses and exercises for the cabin crew
emphasizing the ditching procedures and the use of the ditching equipment.
• Airlines should issue documented procedures for the briefing between the flight and
cabin crew according to time availability
• Airlines should make sure they provide the right documentation according to their
aircraft equipment
• Airlines should include in their procedures and training the recommendations issued
by aviation authorities
• Airlines should collect incidents that occur during operational flights to be analyzed
in order to improve the different procedures and training of their cabin crew.
VIII Regulatory References
• FAA AC 121-24C Passenger Safety Information Briefing and Briefing Cards
IX Airbus References
• Airbus Cabin Crew Operating Manual
• Getting to Grips with Cabin Safety (Brochure)
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Flight Operations Briefing Notes Planned Ditching/Unplanned Ditching
X Additional Reading Materials / Websites References
• FAA – Chapter 33 – Cabin Safety and Flight Attendant Management
http://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx
• EASA – Sections 1 & 2 Sub-Part O – Cabin Crew
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do
• Transportation Safety Board of Canada
http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2010/index.asp
• National Transportation Safety Board
http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/safetystudies/SS0001.pdf
• Aircraft Accident Database
http://www.rgwcherry-adb.co.uk/adb/introduction.asp
• Flight Safety Foundation – Publications
http://flightsafety.org/archives-and-resources/aviation-safety-events
• CAA UK – CAP 789 – Requirements and Guidance Material for Operators
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs
This FOBN is part of a set of Flight Operations Briefing Notes that provide an overview of the applicable standards, flying
techniques and best practices, operational and human factors, suggested company prevention strategies and personal lines-
of-defense related to major threats and hazards to flight operations safety.
This FOBN is intended to enhance the reader's flight safety awareness but it shall not supersede the applicable regulations
and the Airbus or airline's operational documentation; should any deviation appear between this FOBN and the Airbus or
airline’s AFM / (M)MEL / FCOM / QRH / FCTM / CCOM, the latter shall prevail at all times.
In the interest of aviation safety, this FOBN may be reproduced in whole or in part - in all media - or translated; any use of
this FOBN shall not modify its contents or alter an excerpt from its original context. Any commercial use is strictly excluded.
All uses shall credit Airbus.
Airbus shall have no liability or responsibility for the use of this FOBN, the correctness of the duplication, adaptation or
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1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte - 31707 BLAGNAC CEDEX FRANCE
FOBN Reference : FLT_OPS – CAB_OPS – SEQ 01 – REV 02 – December 2011
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