A320 evac command

[Bkdoss]

In A320 emer evac panel, there is a toggle switch with positions capt&purser and Capt. The previous operator I flew with had the SOP to place this in the capt&purser position so that the cabin crew can initiate evac if they spot anything untoward in the cabin. The operator I have shifted to has the SOP to place this in the Capt position as they claim don't trust the crew to take an informed comprehensive decision. But again the SOP in the last case, in a scenario where the crew spot a life threatening situation in the cabin with no call coming from the cockpit side , is to initiate the evacuation from the cabin by pressing EVAC CMD on FAP.

My question is what is the relevance of the Capt & Purser / Capt pb when either case evacuation can be initiated from either side. And secondly what is the procedure followed in airlines across the world ?

[CaptainMongo]

US based carrier.

The CAPT & PURS toggle switch is hard wired to the CAPT & PURS position. On our 319/320's (1994 +- Models) a cabin initiated evacuation can be activated by the forward FAP or AFT FA Control Panel. Once activated the EVAC can only be canceled at the panel that initiated the evacuation. The speaker located nearest the panel in the cabin can be silenced from that panel using the RESET button, the other horns will continue to sound. The cockpit horn can be silenced using the HORN SHUT OFF switch. (As an aside the EVAC horn has its own speakers separate from the PA system)

Our manual indicates the CAPT & PURS switch is non functional (the why is it hard wired ? Good question - maybe at one time it was functional...)

[vilas]

Bkdoss
My experience with 10 airlines I am yet to come across one that leaves EVAC to be with capt&purser. EVAC is a serious matter and perhaps they do not envisage it being ordered without cockpit crew involvement. It is difficult to imagine an event where cabin crew need to evacuate without cockpit crews assessment except incapacitation of cockpit crew.

[Denti]

Interesting topic. We do leave the switch in the CAPT position always. However, the cabin crew can initiate an evacuation if the situation is clearly catastrophic. They just have to shout, use their bullhorns etc. and of course they have to inform the flightdeck crew which then can activate the evacuation horn, if they are still able to do so.

[Amadis of Gaul]

Bkdoss
My experience with 10 airlines I am yet to come across one that leaves EVAC to be with capt&purser. EVAC is a serious matter and perhaps they do not envisage it being ordered without cockpit crew involvement. It is difficult to imagine an event where cabin crew need to evacuate without cockpit crews assessment except incapacitation of cockpit crew.

You've been with 10 airlines? I'm on my third and hope to my soul my last.

BTW we keep that switch in the CAPT position.

[vilas]

Amadis of Gaul
I trained the crews of ten airlines in a TRTO for A320.

[CaptainMongo]

The Asiana 214 evacuation was initiated by a flight attendant. The evacuation did not commence until 90 seconds after the crash - most likely the FA's were waiting for a cockpit command. Pure conjecture, but I imagine had the FA's waited for the cockpit to command an evacuation, more passengers would have died.

While our FA's may initiate an evacuation, I am unaware of any evacuation at our company which was FA initiated. Also as others have stated, a FA can command an evacuation without using the alarm system.

[Peter G-W]

The flight deck EVAC button is guarded whilst the FAP button isn't. On balance of risks having the switch set to CAPT is perhaps the better option?

[CaptainMongo]

Peter G-W,

On our A/C the cabin evacuation CMD push buttons (on both FAP and Aft FA Control Panel) are guarded by a spring loaded plastic cover. As an aside, the plastic cover on the AFt FA EVAC CMD button is over 1/8" thick, why it needs to be so thick is anyone's guess.

On an tangent, I find it interesting that is seems many operators leave the cockpit switch in the CAPT position. I am not making a judgement on it whether good or bad. Each carrier has many, many years of operational experience (ours over 90 years, and we recently merged with another carrier which had been in existence for almost 90 years, they brought their own operational history - I could write a book rivaling the length of Gibbons as we tried to merge the two...)

[Peter G-W]

I'm not sure it matters really. It doesn't make a particularly impressive sound: half the passengers will think they have left the iron on and the others will think the dishwasher needs emptying. I think it is the same sound that the simulator makes when the access bridge is being lowered.

[EDDT]

large european operator

to have equal procedures along the entire fleet, evacuation is done by PA by voice and ,handset.
the EVACPanel in the newer MSNs is labeled INOP and is deactivated. I tried the test function but it wouldnt work.

[FlightDetent]

Hence I struggled to find it at the end of a SIM session in an unnamed training facility nearby Bayern stadium! :}

[MD83FO]

Qatar leaves it to both, there even used to be a false activation of the evac alarm, this on its own does not warrant an evac.

[RicaIii]

Hi...i am a new user here. As per my knowledge the CAPT & PURS toggle switch is hard wired to the CAPT & PURS position. On our 319/320's (1994 +- Models) a cabin initiated evacuation can be activated by the forward FAP or AFT FA Control Panel. Once activated the EVAC can only be canceled at the panel that initiated the evacuation. The speaker located nearest the panel in the cabin can be silenced from that panel using the RESET button, the other horns will continue to sound.

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