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The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that

the Federal Aviation Administration...

...require all newly certificated commercial airplanes to meet the evacuation demonstration requirements prescribed in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 25, regardless of the number of passenger seats on the airplane. (A-00-72)

Require all commercial operators to meet the partial evacuation demonstration requirements prescribed in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, regardless of the number of passenger seats on the airplane. (A-00-73)

Conduct additional research that examines the effects of different exit row widths, including 13 inches and 20 inches, on exit hatch removal and egress at Type III exits. The research should use an experimental design that reliably reflects actual evacuations through Type III exits on commercial airplanes. (A-00-74)

Issue, within 2 years, a final rule on exit row width at Type III exits based on the research described in Safety Recommendation A-00-74. (A-00-75)

Require Type III overwing exits on newly manufactured aircraft to be easy and intuitive to open and have automatic hatch stowage out of the egress path. (A-00-76)

Require air carriers to provide all passengers seated in exit rows in which a qualified crewmember is not seated a preflight personal briefing on what to do in the event the exit may be needed. (A-00-77)

Require the aft flight attendants on Fokker 28 and Fokker 100 airplanes to be seated adjacent to the overwing exits, their assigned primary exits. (A-00-78)

Review the 6-foot height requirement for exit assist means to determine if 6 feet continues to be the appropriate height below which an assist means is not needed. The review should include, at a minimum, an examination of injuries sustained during evacuations. (A-00-79)

Require flight operations manuals and safety manuals to include on abnormal and emergency procedures checklists a checklist item that directs flight crews to initiate or consider emergency evacuation in all emergencies that could reasonably require an airplane evacuation (for example, cabin fire or engine fire). (A-00-80)

Review air carriers' procedures to ensure that for those situations in which crews anticipate an eventual evacuation, adequate guidance is given both to pilots and flight attendants on providing passengers with precautionary safety briefings. (A-00-81)

Review air carrier training programs to ensure that evacuation procedures call, at a minimum, for evacuation through all available floor level exits that are not blocked by a hazard. (A-00-82)

Review air carrier procedures and training programs to ensure that the commands used for slide evacuations are consistent with the commands used for slide evacuations during certification. (A-00-83)

Establish a task force to address the issue of providing periodic hands-on familiarization training, or the equivalent, for aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel at all Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 139 certified airports on each airplane type that serves the airport on a scheduled basis. (A-00-84)

Require air carriers to conduct periodic joint evacuation exercises involving flight crews and flight attendants. (A-00-85)

Conduct research and explore creative and effective methods that use state-of-the-art technology to convey safety information to passengers. The presented information should include a demonstration of all emergency evacuation procedures, such as how to open the emergency exits and exit the aircraft, including how to use the slides. (A-00-86)

Require minimum comprehension testing for safety briefing cards. (A-00-87)

Develop advisory material to address ways to minimize the problems associated with carry-on luggage during evacuations. (A-00-88)

Require air carriers that operate Boeing 727s to include in the auxiliary power unit (APU) procedures instructions that when passengers are on board, the flight crew will make a public address announcement about APU starts immediately prior to starting the APU. (A-00-89)

Require all newly manufactured transport-category airplanes operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 to be equipped with independently powered evacuation alarm systems operable from each crewmember station, and establish procedures and provide training to flight crews and flight attendants regarding the use of such systems. (A-00-90)

Document the extent of false indications for cargo smoke detectors on all airplanes and improve the reliability of the detectors. (A-00-91)

From: NTSB at 19. July 2000 at 05:01:47