Originally Posted by
nnc0
It's disabled on our fleet as well but I've heard that some regulators are looking at making it mandatory. I'm not sure I can see the benefit.
If the PA isn't made first then either the CIDS is disabled, the flight crew failed to complete the checklist, or they are incapacitated.
I can understand that if the EVAC command is separate from CIDS then the EVAC command is a backup form of communication but if EVAC pb sw is pressed without first giving the the PA then I suspect it might some confusion for the cabin crew. Especially in a fleet where it will take several years to retrofit the fleet and manage the multiple configurations.
Further if there are 2 means for the flight crew to initiate the EVAC then that means the cabin crew are even more unlikely to initiate one themselves and I'm not sure I like that scenario.
EVAC pb is supposed to be used after making the PA. Furthermore, in our manuals it's stated that the EVAC pb is an "irreversible action" (whatever that means). Evacuation cannot be (shouldn't be) cancelled after using the EVAC.
Also, if we up front are somehow incapacitated, we won't give the first PA before making the actual evacuation command. If the cabin crew doesn't hear that first PA, I'm more than sure that they will start to prepare for an uncommanded evacuation.