A320 Cockpit handset durin Emer Evacuation
 

Will the cockpit handset work on battery during Emergency Evacuation and pilot is supposed to use VHF1 PA button only?

I remember an Airbus (manufacturer) TRE saying so but cannot find any reference.

We're trained to use the button, I've never even thought of using the handset. Why would you want to? Unless the audio panel failed, I suppose..

Next time you are on the aircraft with only the batteries switched on - try it.
I'm pretty sure it works OK.

what is the purpose of the handset anyway?

My outfit has 150+ 320s and on some the handset works on batteries and in many other planes it doesn't. So the SOP is more or less : try and error.
I always do the announcements with the handset. Better voice quality. During flight we have HMEC 26 Sennheiser headsets which are always switched hot to interphone.
I never use that hand mic, what is that even for? ;)

In line flying, it is not possible to be on batteries usually. yeah, in simulator it is possible! good idea for next simulator session! thanks!

Why? Disconnect Ext. power and APU GEN and check and put it back on doesn't take much time.

What do you mean not possible? Transit stop, disconnect external power and that's it.

Also, what's the reason to use the handset in a very rushed moment? It takes more time to use the handset and you are required to be wearing the headset anyway. If the decision is to evacuate, you will also be using the evac command, which is an irreversible action to evacuate.

The EVAC command? You actually have that pb switch in the overhead panel?

I'd be curious to know how you apply it. You've already given the PA what's the point of hitting the EVAC switch? Different power supply?

EVAC button is disabled in our 320 aircrafts. As some are 27 years old and others 1 month.
So I pushed it on the newer ones to test what would happen. Nothing did.
So tell us? And would you give the purser the authority to initiate an EVAC?

We do have evac command pb on our aircraft. We use it in the "capt only" position, so purser can't use it. In an evacuation we push it after we make the call on the PA, it's seen as an "irreversible" action.

Pushing the pb (in the sim, similar MSN) activates a loud pulsating high pitch sound

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.

Emergency evacuation is a serious matter and cabin crew know it. Therefore EVAC signal without preceding PA will create confusion unless the cabin crew were clearly trained to obey EVAC signal no matter what. Irreversible action means irreversible decision, take time if you have to but once ordered you just do it. There is usually an option CAPT& PURSE/CPT. Most airlines prefer CAPT.

On our 319/320 the cockpit EVAC command toggle is permanently wired to the CAPT & PURS position. The forward and aft FA stations have the ability to initiate an evacuation under specific circumstances. (Bent/scraping metal - with an inability to communicate with the cockpit).

Considering the first people to an airplane accident are the pilots, and that those pilots may be the first casualties of the accident, I think it prudent to train FA's that in very specific and limited circumstances they may command an evacuation.