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. Related articles Flight secrets: Pilot reveals part of a flight you SHOULD worry about Flights: Why pilots never do THIS when something goes wrong 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 it’s dealing with, and you should never take the situation lightly. “Imagine an evacuation that starts out orderly and calm but then turns into terror after smoke or fire breaks out. “No people are screaming, and there’s a mad rush for the exits, but the aisle is clogged with suitcases dropped by panicked passengers. “Your computer, your Kindle, your electric toothbrush, your underwear, and your sudoku books - none of those things are worth risking your life over. Not to mention the lives of the passengers behind you.” A study by the National Transportation Safety Board in 2000 found nearly 50 per cent of people in a commercial aeroplane evacuation had tried to take a bag. Related articles Former cabin crew reveals what you should NEVER do on a plane Pilot reveals how dangerous the cabin air of a plane really is Flights: While such dramatic evacuations are rare they should always be treated seriously (Image: Getty Images) Hand luggage rules and restrictionsFri, July 20, 2018 Hand luggage rules: What is allowed onboard an aeroplane? Getty Images 1 of 11 Hand luggage rules: What is and isn’t allowed onboard The main motivations were identified as grabbing money, wallets, or credit cards, with the secondary priorities being work materials, keys, and medication. Some people believe it should be a crime to take your bag when a plane evacuation is underway, comparing it to smoking which was banned by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1990. “Smoking is not allowed because it can jeopardise the lives and the health of other passengers and the lives and health of the crew,” Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, told Bloomberg. “And carrying your bag could have the same consequence.” Smith also explained in his book that there’s a reason many pilots give such limited explanations when things appear to go wrong on a plane. “Of all front-line employees, pilots are potentially the most valuable for soothing anxieties and explaining the nuances of abnormal situations. Unfortunately, customer service training for pilots is bare minimum and one result is a tendency to say as little as possible - a default policy of evasive simplification.”All rights reserved for this news site express.co.uk and under his responsibility