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> The passengers report they are still on board of the aircraft about 2 hours after landing because the airport does not have stairs to accommodate the A380. D

> The passengers report they are still on board of the aircraft about 2 hours after landing because the airport does not have stairs to accommodate the A380. Does anybody know how this works? Why not just use any old ladder?

jacquesm 9y ago
Risk to the passengers. If there is no imminent risk then it is better to wait for the right device than to risk passengers falling off ladders from 10 meters and higher, the A380 is a huge plane and those doors are pretty high up.
- userbinator 9y ago
  The A380 is high enough that the ladders (technically airstairs) available probably couldn't even reach the doors. http://www.tips.si/pdf/Door-Sill-Heights-Passenger-Stairs-2458.pdf http://www.tips.si/pdf/Door-Sill-Heights-Passenger-Stairs-24... Interestingly enough, an A330/340 can be even higher, but only slightly (~30cm).
- rpeden 9y ago
  Makes sense, but I wonder what they'll end up doing. Nobody's going to be driving a set of A380 compatible air stairs to Goose Bay.
  - SteveNuts 9y ago
    You're gonna get hop ons
  - 21 9y ago
    They can bring a fire ladder. They could also use the self-inflatable chutes, but those are likely to create injuries, so they are an option of last resort.
cybrjoe 9y ago
My guess? Liability.
rwmj 9y ago
At first I was surprised they didn't use the emergency slides, but I suppose once the aircraft is on the ground and there's no evidence of a fire or similar, it's safe so there's no immediate need to deplane the passengers.
- dba7dba 9y ago
  Ftom all the videos of planes I've seen, I think slides are deployed only when fire is involved. Since the damaged engine didn't start any fire for 2 hours, the pilots probabaly knew there was no need to deploy the slides when they landed.
- gvb 9y ago
  The risk of minor injury (sprains, etc.) is pretty high for slides and there is some risk of serious injury (broken bones and worse). They are used when the alternative risk is death.
  - waqf 9y ago
    It doesn't seem fair to use the rate of injury during an emergency evacuation as a measure of what could be achieved with the same slides under non-emergency conditions.
    - userbinator 9y ago
      The height is the same, and that's where those injuries come from. Those slides aren't like playground slides at all --- they are very, very high, and especially so on an A380. Also, they need to be replaced if used, which costs extra time and money. Basically, they are more like an airbag on a car.
      - deleted 9y ago
        [deleted]

jacquesm 9y ago

Risk to the passengers. If there is no imminent risk then it is better to wait for the right device than to risk passengers falling off ladders from 10 meters and higher, the A380 is a huge plane and those doors are pretty high up.

userbinator 9y ago
The A380 is high enough that the ladders (technically airstairs) available probably couldn't even reach the doors. http://www.tips.si/pdf/Door-Sill-Heights-Passenger-Stairs-2458.pdf http://www.tips.si/pdf/Door-Sill-Heights-Passenger-Stairs-24... Interestingly enough, an A330/340 can be even higher, but only slightly (~30cm).
rpeden 9y ago
Makes sense, but I wonder what they'll end up doing. Nobody's going to be driving a set of A380 compatible air stairs to Goose Bay.
- SteveNuts 9y ago
  You're gonna get hop ons
- 21 9y ago
  They can bring a fire ladder. They could also use the self-inflatable chutes, but those are likely to create injuries, so they are an option of last resort.

cybrjoe 9y ago

My guess? Liability.

rwmj 9y ago

At first I was surprised they didn't use the emergency slides, but I suppose once the aircraft is on the ground and there's no evidence of a fire or similar, it's safe so there's no immediate need to deplane the passengers.

dba7dba 9y ago
Ftom all the videos of planes I've seen, I think slides are deployed only when fire is involved. Since the damaged engine didn't start any fire for 2 hours, the pilots probabaly knew there was no need to deploy the slides when they landed.
gvb 9y ago
The risk of minor injury (sprains, etc.) is pretty high for slides and there is some risk of serious injury (broken bones and worse). They are used when the alternative risk is death.
- waqf 9y ago
  It doesn't seem fair to use the rate of injury during an emergency evacuation as a measure of what could be achieved with the same slides under non-emergency conditions.
  - userbinator 9y ago
    The height is the same, and that's where those injuries come from. Those slides aren't like playground slides at all --- they are very, very high, and especially so on an A380. Also, they need to be replaced if used, which costs extra time and money. Basically, they are more like an airbag on a car.
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]