Adult life vest - suitable for a 3 years old?

[larsky]

Hello, I fly a lot with my daughter and have a question about life vests.
Infants up to 2 years old are distributed with a special infant life vests. But from 2 years old, which is also the time a child gets its own seat, nobody gives a special life vest any more so there is just a regular life vest available. Does it fit a small child at all? Can the same life vest fit a grown up man and a small kid which has much smaller head, shoulders and waist? Wouldn`t a kid just slip through it?

[Otto Throttle]

In short, the answer is yes. Cabin crew are taught to be able to adapt an adult life jacket to fit a child. There are obviously different types of jacket, so the techniques will vary from one type to another.

In general, straps may be passed around the child and over the top of the jacket, with the jacket being partially deflated as necessary. The strap can also be routed through the child's legs, similar to the design of the infant life jacket, which prevents the jacket escaping over the head, or the child dropping out of it. The exact technique will depend on the type if jacket.

[larsky]

Thanks! But it also means, in case of emergency all passengers with kids would be totally dependent on help of cabin crew, which actually will have many other things to do like opening the exits, helping the injured, organize evacuation etc...

[S.o.S.]

Hi Larsky and welcome to the forum and congratulations on asking a brand new question! I'm sure other Cabin Crew (CC) will be along to help with more replies.

[Chesty Morgan]

Well I'm not cabin crew but I've just consulted the Cabin Safety Manual for my airline.

All adult life jackets are suitable for adults and kids over 2. It also states that infant life jackets are recommended for infants between 0 and 16 kg. although we don't carry scales but I guess you have a pretty good idea about your child's weight.

I think Otto is talking about adjusting an adult life jacket for an infant, ie. 2 or younger.

[Otto Throttle]

Larsky,

You're quite correct. In the event of a landing on water (ditching), just as in any other emergency, the crew are very busy. However, if the ditching is planned (that is to say, the aircraft is descending from a cruise altitude with enough time to prepare for an unavoidable landing on water), then all passengers are instructed to put their life jackets on (without inflating it!) whilst the aircraft is still flying. The crew should have enough time to ensure that children are wearing their jackets correctly, and the responsible adult/s have been briefed on what they should do to help. Cabin crew are very good at looking after their most vulnerable passengers.

This preparation of the passengers and the cabin is generally the first action most cabin crew will take after they have been briefed on the situation by the pilots. Even with no engine power, an aircraft gliding from cruise altitude has much more time available to allow the crew to prepare than you might imagine, and the crew will be working hard to complete as much of this preparation as possible, only taking their own seats quite literally at the last minute. Only after the aircraft has landed in the water do the more difficult tasks you describe become necessary, but if the preparations have been done correctly, the passengers should be ready to evacuate with life jackets correctly fitted.

If however, there is not enough time to prepare the passengers (such as the Hudson River ditching a few years ago), then how to fit the life jacket is of much less importance than trying to get as many people as possible out of the aircraft as possible. Unfortunately, in these unplanned emergencies, it becomes a case of trying to manage the outcome as best as circumstances allow. If you recall the Hudson River incident, the aircraft remained largely intact, floating on the river surface, with passengers able to evacuate from the over wing exits and front doors. They were able to gather on the wings, and in the inflatable door slide/rafts where it would have been possible for those who had not already been able to fit life jackets to put them on, or adjust them as needed. Unfortunately, in this specific incident, only 3 passengers actually managed to leave the aircraft wearing a life jacket as no pre-flight briefing had been given as to the location or use of life jackets, but many more evacuated using their seat cushions as a flotation device, because this had been briefed. Fortunately, nearly half the passengers were frequent flyers and knew the brief well, even though they hadn't actually listened to the brief on this occasion. A case of making best use of what was available.

The very fact you are even asking the question, and thinking about this situation, greatly increases your and your child's chances of survival. It means you are prepared. Sadly, many of your fellow travellers may not be.

[ExXB]

NEVER, ever inflate your life jacket while in the cabin. If you want to know why search for Ethiopian flight 961 23 Nov 1996 (ET961). Many passengers died because they inflated their life jackets in the cabin, causing them to be trapped inside by the rising water.

[larsky]

well, my daughter`s weight is 14 kg now (she was about 12 kg as she was 2 y.o and she will unlikely reach 16 kg before she is about 4.5 y.o.). Should i better ask cabin crew for an infant life west then?

[baselb]

Is it common to be issued with an infant lifejacket? I travelled several times with an infant; we always got given a seatbelt extender thing, but never a lifejacket. The safety brief just said that they would be issued when required.

[Chesty Morgan]

No, you don't need to ask and you won't be issued with one until you need it.

[Load Toad]

The chances of you needing a lift vest are very small. I think you are obsessing. Trust the CC.

[wiggy]

FWIW

Is it common to be issued with an infant lifejacket?

There's a bit differing advice/opinion here so maybe it depends on the country of registration of aircraft/airline.

Our outfit has recently started issuing either a lifecot or infant life vest to adults travelling with infants prior to every departure - The requirement to do so came from EASA, can't find chapter and verse at the moment.

[GrahamO]

I think you are obsessing.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that.

Perhaps I can recommend a range of parachutes and body armour ?

Id this poor child taken to an airport in an armoured ambulance as the chances of them suffering an accident is probably greater going to and from the airport.

[S.o.S.]

GrahamO. I think you're being a bit harsh. The original poster (o/p) is new here and seems (to me) just to be researching information to the best for their family. The CC here have given supportive comments and reassured that the crew will do the right thing when the need occurs.

Some people may go to great lengths to arrange matters when travelling and we might not be aware of it, or at home where we cannot see. Simply because someone has asked in public? I don't want to frighten off new contributors to the forum.

[larsky]

What do you mean I won't be issued with one until I need it?
As my daughter was under 2 y.o. i got an infant life vest prior to every departure, just like WIGGY comments below.
Or you mean i will not be given one because my daughter is older as 2 y.o. no matter how much she weighs?

[larsky]

I know the chances of having a car accident are much higher. Should airlines cancel distributing life vests and safety instructions at all because the chances of an accident are too small?
I came here to ask a concrete question and i will keep asking till everything is settled for me or till there are people willing to answer.
Unfortunately at every forum there are people preferring just grumbling around without actually giving any helpful information. I am aware of it and take the risk of rather looking obsessive but getting the answers to my question.

[Otto Throttle]

In relation to which type of life jacket the crew would issue to your child, I'm reasonably certain in almost all cases it will be an adult life jacket. There is only a very limited number of infant life jackets, or other flotation devices, on board, and these will naturally be prioritised to infants. The weight restriction mentioned earlier is only as a guide for the crew to know the maximum weight that an infant life jacket can safely support (some babies are huge!) rather than a guide as to whether it should be given to a child.

My best recommendation to you, would be to have a talk to the senior cabin crew member or purser, on your next flight and allow them to guide you with regard to the exact circumstances at that time. I'm sure they would be pleased to assist with a query a little different to the normal kinds of questions they get asked, and would be pleased to put your mind at rest.

[S.o.S.]

Thank you Otto Throttle. Very helpful and constructive.

Thanks for staying, larsky.

[larsky]

Thank you, OTTO THROTTLE