SUBJECT - FLIGHT ATTENDANT TRAINING
INTRODUCTION - REGIONAL AIRLINES SAFETY STUDY
Between October 1995 and July 1997 the Bureau of Air Safety
Investigation undertook a study of the safety of Australian
regional airlines. The objectives of this study were to:
(a) identify safety deficiencies affecting regional airline
operations in Australia; and
(b) identify means of reducing the impact on safety of these
deficiencies.
For the purpose of the survey, regional airlines were grouped
according to the number of passenger seats fitted to the largest
aircraft operated by that airline in January 1997. The groups are
defined as follows:
(a) Group 1: 1-9 seats;
(b) Group 2: 10-19 seats; and
(c) Group 3: more than 20 seats.
The study involved analysing data obtained from:
(a) responses to a survey of Australian regional airline
employees;
(b) discussions with Australian regional airline employees and
managers; and
(c) air safety occurrence reports involving regional airlines over
a 10-year period (1986-1995) from the BASI database.
This recommendation addresses one of the safety deficiencies
identified as a result of this study.
(NOTE: The terms, "cabin attendant", "flight attendant" and "cabin
crew member", as used in this report, are interchangeable and refer
to those members of an aircraft crew who are qualified in the
execution of emergency procedures in accordance with the
requirements of CAO section 20.11.)
SAFETY DEFICIENCY
Some flight attendant safety training conducted by regional
airlines, lacks sufficient practical experience in emergency
procedures and use of emergency equipment.
FACTUAL INFORMATION
Survey results
Flight attendants were asked to suggest ways in which their safety
training could be improved. The most frequent comments were:
(a) more practical training in aircraft evacuations, with a
preference for conducting practice evacuations from cabin
simulators;
(b) more practical training in handling in-flight emergencies, for
example, by using emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers
and personal breathing equipment;
(c) more practical first aid training, such as in cardiopulmonary
resuscitation;
(d) more training in emergency handling by the whole crew;
and
(e) a longer initial training courses.
The fact that more than one-quarter of the flight attendants felt
that their initial safety training did not adequately prepare them
for in-flight emergencies, and that 54% of respondents commented on
the need for more practical emergency training, suggests that the
initial training conducted by some airlines is inadequate (see
attachment 1 for examples of survey responses).
Australian regulations
The current Australian regulatory requirements for cabin crew
training standards are lacking in detail. The Cabin Safety and
Carriage of Persons Group, assigned to the Civil Aviation Safety
Authority (CASA) Regulatory Review, has recommended comprehensive
upgrading of the training standards, including the need for
practical "hands on" training and joint cabin crew/flight crew,
crew resource management (CRM) training.
International perspective
The need to upgrade flight attendant training standards has been
recognised internationally. A number of aviation safety bodies such
as the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Transport
Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),
have addressed the upgrading of flight attendant training
standards. Recommendations from these organisations also include
joint flight crew/cabin crew, CRM training and advocate the
importance of practical, "hands on" training.
The introduction to the ICAO Cabin Attendants Safety Training
Manual states:
"Cabin attendants' training is about safety. Their primary duties
and responsibilities in air transport operation are safety related,
which should be clearly reflected in their training. There is
reason to believe that, in many places, cabin attendants may not
have been given enough information about, or practice with,
equipment and situations to master the skills they need during an
emergency.
"As the structural strength of transport category aeroplanes
improves and accidents become more survivable, cabin attendants are
assuming a more critical role for ensuring passenger safety. Cabin
attendants are an important part of the operational safety system,
both in the prevention of accidents and in the assistance they give
to survivors in the event of an accident. Because of these changes,
civil aviation authorities should ensure that operators implement a
training system for cabin attendants which consistently results in
no less than a minimum level of proficiency so that cabin
attendants can perform their duties and undertake their
responsibilities in the most efficient and effective manner".
ICAO also recommends joint flight crew/cabin crew emergency
training exercises and considers that such training should be held
at least once during initial training and as often as possible
throughout recurrent training programs. This training would help to
instil a one-crew concept among all crew members and ensure
coordination of cabin and flight crew procedures as a synchronised
team, with a sound appreciation of each other's contribution toward
successful management of an emergency situation.
A special NTSB investigation on flight attendant training and
performance during emergency situations, revealed that some flight
attendants did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of exit
operations, use and location of equipment or the use of checklists
during an emergency, and some were unable to follow established or
standard operating procedures. Crew communication was also cited as
being deficient in some cases.
The NTSB study stated:
"Identification of these deficiencies indicates that flight
attendants' safety training has been seriously neglected. A
training system which consistently results in no less than a
minimum level of proficiency should be made available to enable
flight attendants to perform their duties and undertake their
responsibilities in the most efficient and effective manner.
"The Safety Board strongly believes that the ability of flight
attendants to perform their duties successfully during emergency
situations is directly related to the quality of their emergency
training" (NTSB/SIR-92/02 "Flight Attendant Training and
Performance During Emergency Situations").
Survey responses made by Australian flight attendants support this
view.
The "solo" flight attendant
Of special significance to regional airlines are "solo" flight
attendant operations. In general, aircraft carrying between 20 and
36 passengers are required to carry one flight attendant (CAO
20.16.3 subsection 6.1). As aircraft of this size are commonly
operated by regional airlines, many flight attendants operate as
"solo" flight attendants. From the day they complete their
training, the flight attendants work without the supervision of a
more experienced flight attendant. Any in-flight cabin emergencies
which occur, such as a medical emergency or a cabin fire, are dealt
with by the flight attendant, usually without assistance from the
flight crew. Anything they fail to learn in training they are
unlikely to learn on the job. Regional airline flight attendants,
therefore, have a special need for comprehensive standards of
training.
ANALYSIS
The need for flight attendants to call upon their safety training
in an emergency situation is rare but often sudden, and may be life
threatening. Flight attendants, therefore, must be provided with
the knowledge and skills to perform efficiently and effectively. It
is imperative that they are practised and familiar with all
on-board emergency equipment and procedures to enable them to
perform adequately in the event of an emergency.
Airline management and airline training departments must recognise
the special needs associated with "solo" flight attendant
operations and provide a level of training which will adequately
prepare those flight attendants to confidently and effectively
handle in-flight emergencies.
