Emergency procedures for passengers - Light aircraft
 

Hi all,

I am a private pilot about to commence CPL and IR training in Europe. Since I frequently fly on light aircraft (PA28, C152), most of the time taking friends, family etc. I have found myself wondering what the ideal position would be for passengers in the event of an emergency landing? I'm not sure if the brace position would be effective because of the flight controls in the passenger seat. There doesn't seem to be any sort of recommendation for this in the flight manuals, any thoughts?

I get them thinking about opening the door before touchdown (type dependent), pressing the tit on the ELT if I'm unable, not strangling themselves with the headset lead when exiting the aircraft, and knowing where the fire extinguisher is but running like hell in preference to trying to use it on the ground.

The standard airline brace position is designed around a lapstrap only. Virtually all light aeroplanes have a 3-point harness similar to a car seatbelt. The upper torso will be restrained however - and indeed can't reasonably be asked to move forwards, that would go against the basic geometry of the harness.

Therefore the important things are limbs. Most teaching would be that the feet should be firmly flat on the floor, the hands on the knees, and the chin on the chest. That way there's as little potential for limbs to flail as possible.

G

...I prefer to brief 'grasp right lapel with left hand and vice versa' so arms are crossed on the chest. This might save the vital organs even if limbs are broken.

TOO

And ideally, third hand covering crotch.

Hands on knees you would say? What worries me most is the control column coming forward and into the chest, I doubt it's designed to bend in some way to avoid doing so on impact (or is it?).

I do the door opening thing (my airplane is an Archer II) and wedge the door.

I also tell them to throw the head set in the back and take the biggest bag from the back seat and have it in front of their face.

Not so sure if in an actual emergency it would all happen but the open the door is the most important.

On the vast majority of aircraft, no it's not, and I can certainly see the validity of those proposing crossed arms or tucked into the harness. I'm not aware that that has been formally assessed by anybody, but that doesn't make it a bad idea.

G

Certainly crossing the arms as described may protect the chest from an object ( controls) penetrating the chest, it will not stop internal organs moving around.

The biggest cause of death during a crash, be it in a car or aircraft etc are the heart arteries being severed as a result of a high energy impact and sudden stop, the organs keep moving forwards even the though the body is restrained.

Tucking bits between the body and the harness will result in the body mass x velocity crushing said bits between body and harness. Probably better to leave them flail around?

I point out where the emergency equipment is, e.g fire extinguisher and first aid kit are and then proceed to advise what I’ll do if we have an emergency in general, i.e engine failure or fire etc. I then end with showing them how to open the door and undo the harness and to step on the wing and exit backwards towards the rear of the plane when exiting.

Jumper/coat/other item of clothing between yoke and passenger if at all possible - the bolt holding the shoulder strap in the Cessnas I have flown don't look particularly substantial, so I would assume a sufficiently sudden stop might dislodge it. Crossing arms over chest seems like a good idea I will adopt.

The other thing I would advise is for the passenger to pull their feet backwards as hard as possible, as it rather looks like the legs would flail forwards in a sudden stop, potentially injuring them against the sharp edge of the bottom of the dashboard, which wouldn't be ideal if one wants to exit the aircraft under your own steam...

Harness as tight as poss, door unlatched and headset off on PIC's instruction at short final are also conducive to a better outcome, as is a calm head if at all poss...