High wind question

[Sudden Stop]

The forecasted high winds for next week have got me thinking. Given the scenario of not being able to use conventional disembarking methods (airstairs/bridge) and holding pax onboard till the wind eases, what would happen in the event of an emergency evacutation?

If it's too windy to safely use normal equipement, at what point would the emergency slides/chutes become dangerous to use? I can imagine inflating them, only for the wind to get underneath and flip them on their side, turfing the user unceremoniously onto the tarmac below... Lawsuit anyone?

[A Very Civil Pilot]

I found this on Wikipedia, so draw your own conclusions for it's accuracy.

In order to compensate for any wind, new evacuation slides contain internal baffles, which cause the ends nearest the aircraft to inflate first, which are constructed to come out like four elbows and press against the fuselage of the aircraft, to the forward and aft sides of the exit door. There are also 'half-tie' restraints which keep the inflating slide from drooping or blowing under the aircraft. These restraints are constructed so that when the slide becomes fairly rigid, around 1.5 - 2.0 psi, they detach very quickly (there are usually two), and since the header tubes are already against the fuselage, the slide 'pops' almost horizontally out from the door, then drops relatively gently to the ground. Tests in 25 knot cross winds have shown these deployment systems to be very effective.

[Mad (Flt) Scientist]

The relevant FAr requirement for slides is:

§ 25.810 Emergency egress assist means and escape routes.

(a) Each non over-wing Type A, Type B or Type C exit, and any other non over-wing landplane emergency exit more than 6 feet from the ground with the airplane on the ground and the landing gear extended, must have an approved means to assist the occupants in descending to the ground.

(1) The assisting means for each passenger emergency exit must be a self-supporting slide or equivalent; and, in the case of Type A or Type B exits, it must be capable of carrying simultaneously two parallel lines of evacuees. In addition, the assisting means must be designed to meet the following requirements—

.....

(iv) It must have the capability, in 25-knot winds directed from the most critical angle, to deploy and, with the assistance of only one person, to remain usable after full deployment to evacuate occupants safely to the ground.

[Sudden Stop]

I've got to say I did fully expect there to be some regs ensuring these things would work as expected in a 'controlled eviroment' and 25kts is not too extreme so I'm going to call that the 'controlled eviroment'. But what happens when you've got twice that amount of wind, or three times?

At what point do they unpredictable/unsafe? If only tested for 25kt, is 25 the limit? What about 40kts? Or 60kts? What happens when that limit is reached? Presumably, if you can't ensure the safe evacutation of an aircraft you shouldn't get yourself into a position of having people on board that can't readily get off - i.e. don't depart for a destination that is reporting such high winds...

Thoughts?