Aviation Safety and Emergency Procedures
Core concepts
Safety and emergency questions test sequence, command language and decision-making under pressure. Learn the evacuation decision chain: assess conditions, decide whether an evacuation is required, brief the cabin, assign exits and able-bodied passengers (ABPs), secure the cabin, shout the commands ('Brace, brace'; 'Evacuate, evacuate'), then muster and account for passengers.
Know the supporting concepts: the 30-second silent review (self-briefing at each take-off and landing on your exit, your commands, your usable exits, your helpers and your equipment); the 90-second certification standard, under which an aircraft must demonstrate full evacuation in 90 seconds using half the available exits; decompression response (oxygen on, seat belts on, land as soon as practical, cabin altitude above 10,000 ft is hazardous); time of useful consciousness, which drops to roughly 15-30 seconds at 35,000 ft; fire fighting using the fire triangle and the PASS technique; turbulence injuries, mostly caused by unrestrained passengers and unsecured equipment; and ditching and post-evacuation survival.
Traps
Questions often say 'nearest exit' where the answer is 'nearest usable exit' - smoke, fire or a jammed door changes the route. Another trap is delaying evacuation to collect documents or hand baggage, or ordering an evacuation when the flight deck has decided to remain on board. ABPs must be briefed before an emergency, not recruited at the door.
Rule of thumb
Carry three numbers into the exam: 90 seconds to evacuate, 10,000 ft for supplemental oxygen, and 15-30 seconds of useful consciousness at high cabin altitude.