SUBJECT - CABIN BAGGAGE
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
The current procedures for preventing passengers from bringing
excessive amounts of cabin baggage onto regional airline aircraft
are inadequate.
FACTUAL INFORMATION
Survey results
Flight attendants were asked to rate, in terms of "major", "minor"
or "no problem", potential safety hazards, based on their
experience. The hazard of "amount and size of carry-on luggage" was
ranked highest, being scored as a minor or major issue by 97% of
respondents. In addition, "excess cabin baggage" was commonly cited
as a major safety problem in answers to the other general questions
posed in the survey. No other hazard in the area of cabin safety
was mentioned as frequently (see attachment 1 for examples of
survey responses).
As the survey indicated that excess cabin baggage was raised as
the most common cabin safety problem, it is considered to be a
major safety issue in regional airline operations.
Background
The current Australian cabin baggage regulation is broad in its
application and lacks the detail necessary to ensure that excess
and inappropriate cabin baggage is not accepted into the cabin area
of aircraft (Civil Aviation Order 20.16.3, subsection 9).
Australian domestic and international accident and incident
records and studies have identified the following hazards as being
associated with the carriage of cabin baggage:
(a) injury to passengers or crew members and/or blockage of exit
routes, resulting from cabin baggage falling from failed overhead
lockers during an accident sequence;
(b) cabin baggage being incorrectly stowed, or dislodged from
stowage positions thereby obstructing aisles or exit ways and
impeding evacuation;
(c) injury to passengers carrying baggage onto evacuation slides
or through emergency exits during evacuation;
(d) aircraft weight limitations being exceeded because cabin
baggage has not been incorporated into aircraft load
computations;
(d) individual cabin baggage pieces exceeding the design
limitation of the stowage compartment; and
(e) the speed of evacuation being slowed by passengers attempting
to collect cabin baggage before evacuation.
(See attachment 2 for examples of cabin safety hazards.)
Regional airline aircraft
Although most accident studies have been conducted on
large-capacity aircraft, the hazards referred to apply equally to
Group 1 and Group 2 aircraft. For example, aircraft of any size can
experience in-flight turbulence. This may result in injury to
passengers or crew, or damage to the aircraft caused by movement of
cabin baggage. Passengers and crew may be injured if struck by
baggage falling from overhead lockers.
Blocked emergency exits and passenger behavioural problems during
evacuation are not unique to large-capacity aircraft types.
Incorrectly stowed cabin baggage and spillage of luggage from
stowage areas during an accident are as much a problem in smaller
regional aircraft as in the higher-capacity aircraft types.
Excess cabin baggage is a particular problem for regional airlines
as the types of aircraft typically used have considerably less
stowage space in the cabin than aircraft used by high-capacity
airlines. Passengers familiar with cabin baggage limits on
high-capacity aircraft often expect to bring the same amount of
baggage into the cabin of regional airline aircraft. Many aircraft
designed to the "normal" category standard, and some designed to
the "transport" category standard, do not have any overhead lockers
or underseat stowage for cabin luggage. Piper Navajo and Fairchild
Metroliner aircraft, two of the most common aircraft operated by
regional airlines, have almost no space in the cabin for storing
baggage.
Under-seat stowage compartments are approved for solid articles if
they meet the restraint requirements of CAO part 103, section 10.
The design of passenger seats in many of the smaller regional
airline aircraft does not incorporate such under-seat stowage
restraint.
International perspective
Transport Canada and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
considered that their original regulations were not specific enough
to ensure compliance. Both agencies have expanded their regulations
for stowage of cabin baggage (Transport Canada rule 705.42; FAA
rule 121.589 and AC-121-29, and proposed AC-121-29A).
In the introduction to the "Carry-On Baggage Program Rule", which
requires United States airlines to develop and use approved
carry-on baggage programs, the FAA stated that "excessive carry-on
baggage can endanger passengers and crew members in a number of
ways: carry-on bags that block aisles or the spaces between seats
can slow evacuation of the airplane in an emergency; improperly
stowed carry-on bags can block access to emergency equipment and to
the under-the-seat lifevests; carry-on bags that fall from overhead
racks or bins can injure passengers and flight crew members and
hinder evacuation"(FAA Supplementary Information: Amendment
121-194, Federal Aviation Regulation 121.589).
The Cabin Safety and Carriage of Persons Group, assigned to the
Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Regulatory Review, has
recommended to CASA that Transport Canada rule 705.42 be adopted as
a model for Australian regulation and program requirements (see
attachment 3 for Transport Canada rule 705.42-Carry-On
Baggage).
ANALYSIS
Severe limitations on stowage space in some regional aircraft make
it imperative that effective procedures be in place to prevent
passengers from bringing excess cabin baggage onto aircraft. CASA
should develop standards and implement regulations which require
Australian airline operators to develop cabin baggage control
programs. These programs, approved and monitored by CASA, should
control the size, quantity and weight, and correct on-board
stowage, of cabin baggage on all Australian passenger-carrying
aircraft.
