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American Airlines Flight Attendants Under Fire
Some American Airlines flight attendants are under scrutiny from their
bosses for deciding, on their own, to deploy evacuation slides after a
jetliner with 194 people aboard made an emergency landing earlier this week
at Los Angeles International Airport, according to controllers, airport
officials and others familiar with the details.
The incident, which temporarily closed two of the airport's four runways and
generated nationwide TV coverage, also has prompted federal regulators to
take another look at evacuation rules and practices in such instances, and
how procedures may vary among carriers.
The Honolulu-bound jetliner returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday about an hour
after departure, because some of the 188 passengers reported smelling smoke
and seeing a haze in the cabin of the Boeing 757. News networks showed
extensive video clips of passengers sliding down inflatable chutes while the
aircraft was stopped in the middle of a runway, temporarily disrupting air
traffic during the morning rush.
The plane landed safely and there were no serious injuries. Fire crews and
federal investigators didn't find any evidence of smoke, fire or mechanical
problems.
American hasn't identified the pilots or flight attendants. But as
investigators from the company and the Federal Aviation Administration
continue to examine what happened, they are asking why one or more flight
attendants opened some doors and deployed slides -- without any command from
the captain.
On Wednesday an FAA spokeswoman said, "We're looking into all the issues
that have been raised." An airline spokesman said, "We are still gathering
information from our crew members to better understand the details of the
event" and their "decision to deploy the slides."
Unlike cabin crews at some other big airlines, American's flight attendants
have the authority to unilaterally deploy evacuation slides if they
determine there is a serious and imminent threat, according to industry and
government officials. But it's routine for them to first check with the
captain.
In this case, according to people familiar with the details, during the
emergency approach the captain didn't alert controllers or fire crews that
he planned to deploy the slides, something pilots are supposed to do if they
intend to evacuate the plane in that manner. Immediately after the Boeing
757 came to a stop -- and as firefighters rushed toward the jet -- the
captain walked toward the back of the cabin to discuss with the lead flight
attendant how the passengers would get off the aircraft. But before that
conversation took place, according to these people, the slides began
deploying.
Pilots generally deploy the slides only in the most serious emergencies,
because such evacuations run the risk of injuring passengers. They also take
planes out of service, reflecting the extra time it takes to deal with the
slides. Despite estimates that reports of smoke or suspected fires result in
dozens of airliners making emergency landings across the U.S. every month,
it's rare to have emergency slides actually deployed. Even in Tuesday's
incident, some of the passengers left the aircraft using mobile stairs.
The evacuation received unusual media and FAA attention, because a bevy of
reporters, camera crews, news choppers and agency officials was on hand to
commemorate the planned arrival of the first Emirates Airlines Airbus A380
superjumbo jet to Los Angeles. The demonstration flight was put into a
holding pattern southwest of Los Angeles to accommodate the emergency, and a
planned salute by firefighters using water cannons was scrapped.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1218...googlenews_wsj