During every flight, we always hear the cabin crew say, “In preparation for take-off, please make sure that your seatbelts are fastened, window shades up, tray tables stowed, and seats in the upright position,” then followed by a “we will be dimming the cabin lights for take-off…”. I will now explain the reasons behind these flight attendant safety instructions and why they have to be followed.
Take-off and landing are usually the most dangerous parts of a flight and usually where most accidents happen. All those procedures our cabin crew instruct us to follow each have their reason which boils down to your safety and the safety of other passengers should an unwanted emergency happen. Not following these instructions may cause significant injuries or even lives if you do not obey them.
Seatbelts always fastened.
The aircraft’s sudden movements may throw you around during take-off or landing. Hence, your seatbelts hold you back in your seat. It is precisely like car seatbelts; they prevent you from getting thrown off, especially during an emergency. It is even highly recommended that we keep our seatbelts on all the time because the aircraft’s radar does not detect clear air turbulence and if you pass through it, the aircraft may suddenly jerk down then up, which may throw you up until the ceiling.
Tray tables up.
All passengers must get off the aircraft within 90 seconds or less during an emergency evacuation. Hence, the pathway towards the aisle has to be cleared-off. If the unthinkable happens, a stowed tray table allows you and your seatmate to get to the aisle immediately. At the same time, there is no object between you and the seat in front that may cause injury or death; for example, you may be thrown forward, and an unstowed tray table can break your ribs during an emergency terrain landing.
Seats in upright position.
This clears the way for the passenger behind you to get off his seat to the aisle faster during an emergency. As much as possible, the pathway from your seat to the aisle has to be clear at all times, so in case of an emergency terrain or water landing, it would be faster to get off your seat and go to the aisle towards the exit and emergency doors.
Window shades up.
Aside from being able to assess the situation outside, your eyes must adjust to the natural light outside the aircraft. This is also why cabin lights are dimmed during take-off and landing. During an emergency situation like a crash landing, lights may go off (except emergency pathway lights), rendering the cabin dark. Even in broad daylight, aircraft cabins are dark with no lights. Keeping your window shades up allows your eyes to adjust to the natural light outside and dark cabin, so in case of an emergency, you would be able to see where you are going right away and the people around you.
Following these, flight attendant safety instructions are not optional but are mandatory. Failing to obey them can get you offloaded from the flight due to becoming a security risk. Also, purchasing a plane ticket means you will abide by all safety instructions of your cabin crew.
Never forget that it is the airline’s and the flight crew’s job to get you from point A to point B safely in one piece; hence, as passengers, we have to do our part by following these instructions. Safety is indeed paramount.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
