Lights off for take off/landing
Discussion
-crookedtail- said:
I always thought it was in the event it becomes necessary to evacuate, your eyes are already adjusted. Otherwise, it takes at least several seconds to go from bright light to being able to see in the dark.
No idea if this is true or not.
Correct.... Also to help with situational awareness just in case....No idea if this is true or not.
Kudos said:
SO, if the plane crashed on takeoff/landing, would they not turn the lights on to help you get off?
Not the normal cabin lights. If the cabin lights were left on, you'd be temporarily blind as you exited the aircraft and found yourself in the dark.During an evacuation, emergency lighting switches on inside the cabin. Usually in the form of lighted strips on the floor, to guide people to the emergency exits and out of the aircraft.
mattdaniels said:
What did the cabin crew say to you in the two briefings you listened to today about cabin lighting in the event of an emergency?
They said that in the event if an evacuation emergency floor lighting would direct you to nearest exit. I don't see how that relates to my question about the main lights coming on though??Fat Albert said:
It is standard practice to turn off the Master Electrics before a crash/non-planned arrival so the main cabin lights would not work....
I.e. a 'crash' switch. The busbars are ganged together (toggle switches) so can be disabled by lifting up a large grab handle usually yellow and black, and rocking it forwards. On most military applications, I would assume the civvie world has something similar to kill all power bar the emergency busbar.Chuck328 said:
Fat Albert said:
It is standard practice to turn off the Master Electrics before a crash/non-planned arrival so the main cabin lights would not work....
Is it? What aircraft type are you referring to? (not that many, but includes the Westland Wessex and BAe Jetstream as well as the usual ickle stuff)
I agree with Fat Albert, being from a Nimrod background we have the same set up. Nimrod had inertia operated emergency lights with self contained batteries. Electrical power is isolated to minimise the risk of fire. Its also possible that damage could prevent power availability anyway. But the main reason on civvy stuff is to aid night vision.
El Capitano said:
-crookedtail- said:
I always thought it was in the event it becomes necessary to evacuate, your eyes are already adjusted. Otherwise, it takes at least several seconds to go from bright light to being able to see in the dark.
No idea if this is true or not.
Correct.... Also to help with situational awareness just in case....No idea if this is true or not.
With regard to cabin lighting during a night time evacuation, in the event of smoke in the cabin, the main cabin lights would make the visibility situation worse. Low level lighting (where the smoke is less dense) is easier to follow. The Emergency Exit lights above each doorway would also be illuminated along with the escape slides themselves (due to external emergency lighting)
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