3 ms·

Expecting random customers to use a knife to free themselves when either in unexpected freefall or underwater without having ever tried it in training seems ind

• LeifCarrotson 9y ago
  The main purpose of the harnesses, which is tested and used on every single flight, is to prevent the passengers from becoming free of the harness and free of the helicopter. It was only through a highly unlikely combination of both a loss of power and a failure of the float system that they would ever need to release the harness. You don't not wear your seatbelt in case it becomes jammed when you drive into a lake - that just doesn't happen very often. But people get in normal, on-road car accidents all the time: it would be silly to optimize either of these systems for easy release when the main purpose is for them not to release.
  • caconym_ 9y ago
    Seatbelts are optimized for easy release. They have a big red button and using it is muscle memory for the vast majority of people who ride in cars. This is good because there are a lot of conceivable situations in which one might need to exit a car in a hurry. It's possible that a seatbelt or its release might cause problems in some situations, but they're designed to make this as unlikely as possible. Strapping people into an aircraft such that they effectively cannot release themselves in any emergency is completely insane, and in this case it's a decision that led to 5 deaths. If they can't design secure harnesses that can also be easily released, or can't trust customers with such a responsibility, then they shouldn't be running open-door flights at all.