It is also possible that the reason for the non-evacuation by slide was not due to cultural factors.
It may be quite difficult to assess the severity of an under wing fire from the cockpit, quickly. The British Airtours case suggests this. Yes the 777 has cameras but when a camera serves up an unbelievable image our instinct is not to believe it but to doubt the camera.
The cabin crew may see the fire, but it may not be visible from all cabin crew stations. It may not have been visible from the CP's position. There is another point, too - cabin crew members are taught not to create alarm and despondency in the passengers - yelling "THERE'S A HUGE FIRE ON THE STARBOARD WING!" into a phone goes against this training, but the time needed to quietly inform the cockpit crew, eg by sidling up to the CP and leaving the CP to make the call and inform the cockpit, in a discreet and non pax-scaring manner, that the starboard wing is ablaze from root to tip, will be rather longer...
I'm not a pilot, but "Willit Run", who is, makes this point at post 19 on this thread...
Last edited by Methersgate; 7th Jul 2016 at 15:23.