Alert prompts evacuation without cause
In an unexpected turn of events, a Ryanair flight was forced to evacuate via the wings after a false fire alarm was triggered at Palma de Mallorca Airport in Spain. The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, causing a hasty evacuation that resulted in minor injuries for some passengers and the hospitalisation of six individuals.
Medium-haul aircraft often have multiple exits with inflatable emergency slides, but not all exits are always equipped with slides on the wings. In this case, passengers were directed to use overwing exit doors without slides, which required them to evacuate by stepping onto the wing and then jumping down. This unconventional evacuation method can be risky, especially when panicked, as seen in this incident.
The risks associated with evacuations over wings without slides include a greater likelihood of passenger injuries due to falls or jumps from the wing surface, potential panic or confusion during emergencies, and difficulty for the cabin crew to manage and coordinate safe exits when slides are not available.
Airline safety procedures typically emphasize using doors with slides where possible, and cabin crew are trained to direct passengers to the safest and most accessible exits. However, in some emergency situations, overwing exits without slides may become necessary as secondary routes if primary doors are inaccessible.
Following the incident, Ryanair arranged for medical assistance and organized a replacement flight that departed the next morning. The affected passengers were not required to return to their hotels, but instead had to return to the terminal. Ryanair also apologized for the inconvenience caused.
It is worth noting that such incidents are not unheard of. In March 2018, a Southwest Airlines plane had an emergency landing with passengers evacuating via the wings, resulting in two injuries[1]. The commotion on the Ryanair flight was due to a false fire alarm in the cabin, reminding us of the importance of vigilance and proper emergency procedures in such situations.
[1] Reference: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/13/us/southwest-emergency-landing.html
In such emergency situations where primary exits are inaccessible, passengers may be directed to use overwing exit doors without slides, as was the case in this Ryanair incident, which also serves as a reminder of the potential risks associated with such unconventional evacuation methods. These risks include a higher likelihood of passenger injuries, potential panic or confusion during emergencies, and difficulty for the cabin crew to manage and coordinate safe exits when slides are not available.
