Aircraft Evacuations Onto Escape Slides and Platforms I: Effects of Passenger Motivation

Abstract

Abstract : Experimental evaluations of passenger egress during simulated emergency evacuations have provided different results, depending on such variables as subject motivation level and escape route utilized in the particular study. The study reported here was conducted to compare competitive versus cooperative subject behavior within a single study using inflatable escape slides versus door sill-height platforms connected to rigid ramps as the escape routes. Four groups of subjects, ranging in age from 18 to 44, were employed in a 2 (motivation level) x 2 (egress route) x 2 (air quality) repeated-measures design. Motivation level was the between-groups factor; evacuation route and air quality (clear air versus smoke) were within-groups factors. Main effects on total egress time were found for motivation level (p<.0O8) and egress route (p<.012), as competitive behavior and platforms-with-ramps produced much faster evacuation times. Air quality effects on total egress times failed to achieve statistical significance; however, the combination of air quality with the other variables produced substantial interactions. These results indicate that findings derived from evacuation studies are very susceptible to nuances in individual subject behavior and experimental techniques/protocol. Combining previously studied independent variables may produce unexpected interactions that invalidate initial assumptions about the utility of those variables in answering specific research questions. Studies intended to assess the evacuation potential of aircraft designs, configurations, and operating procedures should tightly control such variables to prevent them from inadvertently confounding the experimental questions being addressed.