Flights: Pilot reveals what you should never do with hand luggage on a plane in an emergency (Image: Getty Images)
Flights rarely go wrong but if something does happen and a state of emergency is underway - there’s something passengers should never do. Pilot Patrick Smith revealed the enormous no-no in his book Cockpit Confidential. If a plane has to be evacuated it’s crucial you do not take your hand luggage with you. Smith said that taking luggage can slow evacuation down and be potentially life-threatening.
Flights: Pilot reveals what you should never do with hand luggage on a plane in an emergency
“In several recent on-the-ground emergencies, including at least three cases of a plane catching fire, numerous passengers could be seen exiting with heavy pieces of luggage,” Smith wrote in his 2013 book.
“I cannot overemphasise how unsafe this is. Luggage slows people down, impedes their access to the aisles and exits and turns the escape slide into a deadly slalom. Yet we keep seeing it.
“Flight attendants are yelling, ‘Leave your stuff!’ but they’re being ignored.
“People are digging through the bins for their computers and backpacks; here’s a guy coming up the aisle with his roll-aboard.”
Smith points out that while such dramatic evacuations are rare they should always be treated seriously.
“I’d wager most of my savings account that you’ll never be involved in an evacuation,” he said.
Flights: If a plane has to be evacuated it’s crucial you do not take your hand luggage with you (Image: Getty Images)
“And those that do occur are, nine times out of ten, precautionary. But if it does happen, the crew might not be fully certain of what
