I’ve noticed an expediential increase in the amount of carry-on baggage taken on board domestic aircraft in Australia. It is annoying for those of us who act responsibly because we cannot stow our modest bags. It also must drive the flight attendants nuts trying to stow the stuff in the overhead lockers.
I recently flew from Sydney to Brisbane and sat next to a guy who had a computer bag, a large tube (maybe for maps) and what looked like a very large picture wrapped to ensure that it could not be damaged in any way. Eventually, with the help of a very patient flight attendant, the stuff was stowed. Two of the items could not have fitted into the frames provided at the top of the air-bridge, and I wonder about the combined weights of the gentleman’s chattels.
In this case, I do not blame the passenger except the he appears to have had little respect for other passenger’s requirements to stow their carry-on baggage. I do however wonder about the effectiveness of the system that permitted this event to occur; leaving the final solution about what to do to a hassled flight attendant trying to ready the aircraft for departure. If you think about it, the system on that day failed. I guess that at least four layers of the old Swiss cheese were breached to enable this situation to occur.
I also wonder about the airline’s Safety Management System. How effective is the reporting of such events? I suspect that in the context of cabin operations, there could be room for improvement because the amount of cabin baggage has gradually increased over time and surely, cabin crew would have noticed it. It would be really good if passengers could easily report into the SMS. I know of one general aviation operator who does just that by means of a beautiful postcard folded with a section to enable feedback to the operator about any issue of concern. I mention this example in my book, “Safety Management without the Mumbo Jumbo”.
Passengers and I suspect some flight attendants do not fully appreciate the effect of the carry-on baggage in the event of an accident even if it is stowed according to the airline recommendations. I’ll never forget seeing photographs of a DC9 which impacted a gentle snowy up-slope after take-off. Thankfully, there were no fatalities, but the bulk of cabin carry-on baggage moved forward and literally hilled to the extent that it impeded egress from the aircraft.
Passengers and I suspect some flight attendants do not fully appreciate the effect of the carry-on baggage in the event of an accident even if it is stowed according to the airline recommendations. I’ll never forget seeing photographs of a DC9 which impacted a gentle snowy up-slope after take-off. Thankfully, there were no fatalities, but the bulk of cabin carry-on baggage moved forward and literally hilled to the extent that it impeded egress from the aircraft.
The emplyees of the aviation safety regulator travel frequently on domestic airlines and must also have noticed the emergence of this safety problem. I hope they are addressing it; personally, I have not seen any improvement.
