Evacuation slide facts for kids
An evacuation slide is a super important safety tool on airplanes! It's an inflatable slide that helps people get off an aircraft (airplane) very quickly during an emergency. You might see them pop out if the plane needs to be evacuated fast.
These slides are needed on all planes that carry passengers. They are used when the airplane door is too high for people to safely step down to the ground. For example, in the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says slides are required if the plane's floor is about 6 feet (or 1.8 meters) or more above the ground.
Some special evacuation slides can even turn into life rafts! This is super helpful if a plane has to land on water, allowing passengers to stay safe and afloat.
How Evacuation Slides Work
Evacuation slides are usually packed very tightly inside a special container near the airplane doors. When an emergency happens, they inflate super fast, often in just a few seconds! This quick inflation creates a sturdy slide that people can use to exit the plane safely and quickly.
Why Are They Needed?
Airplanes are designed to be very safe, but sometimes emergencies happen. If a plane needs to be emptied quickly, like during a fire or another urgent situation, these slides are the fastest way for everyone to get out. They help prevent injuries that could happen if people tried to jump from a high airplane door.
Slide and Life Raft Combo
It's pretty clever how some slides can do double duty! If an airplane has to make an emergency landing on water, these special slides inflate and detach from the plane. They then float and can be used as life rafts, keeping passengers safe until help arrives. This design makes them even more useful for different kinds of emergencies.
Images for kids
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Evacuation slide used in an emergency drill
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Deflated evacuation slide on an Airbus A320 following an accidental deployment in 2007
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A packed evacuation slide, ready to be stored
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An evacuation slide stored in its box at the bottom of an airplane door
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An inflated slide used for cabin certification tests for the SSJ100
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A stand-alone device installed on the back of the door, possibly part of the slide system
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Emergency slides after the crash of British Airways Flight 38
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