Key facts
- The FAA warns passengers against taking luggage during emergency aircraft evacuations.
- Attempts to retrieve bags can slow evacuations, block aisles, and damage emergency slides.
- Over 40 people have been injured during emergency evacuations since January 1, 2023.
- The "Save a Life, Not a Bag" initiative aims to address passenger behavior during emergencies.
- A significant portion of passengers misunderstand evacuation procedures, including the importance of leaving belongings.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a warning to passengers about a dangerous mistake commonly made during aircraft evacuations: attempting to retrieve personal belongings. The agency highlighted viral clips showing individuals taking their carry-on luggage down emergency slides, emphasizing that "every second counts" in an emergency and that such actions can impede escape routes, block aisles, and damage critical safety equipment.
According to the FAA's passenger evacuation guidelines, delaying the evacuation process by retrieving bags can have severe consequences. Since the beginning of 2023, more than 40 people have sustained injuries during emergency evacuations. The agency also reminds passengers to remove high heels and refrain from using phones to take photos or videos, as these actions can further slow down the evacuation.
This warning is part of a broader industry effort, including the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) "Save a Life, Not a Bag" initiative launched in June. Recent incidents, such as an evacuation on a Frontier Airlines flight and an American Airlines flight, have underscored the problem, with flight attendants heard pleading with passengers to leave their belongings behind.
Industry analysis suggests a misunderstanding of evacuation procedures among passengers. A study commissioned by IATA found that while 80% of passengers believe they know what to do in an emergency, only 61% correctly identified that all belongings should be left behind. Furthermore, only 18% of passengers were aware that aircraft evacuations are designed to be completed within 90 seconds.
However, the successful evacuation of a Japan Airlines plane in 2024, which caught fire after a collision, served as a positive example. All 379 people on board escaped safely, an outcome experts attributed in part to passengers leaving their belongings behind, demonstrating the critical importance of adhering to evacuation procedures.