This article discusses several cases of ambiguous emergency communication between the flight crew and the cabin crew — some occurring during public address (PA) system announcements to passengers. The contexts are evacuation scenarios and rapid-deplaning scenarios in commercial air transport operations. Misuse of terminology by crewmembers, poorly worded intentions of the pilot-in-command (PIC), and misunderstandings by passengers have been among factors that led to close calls and unexpected outcomes, according to selected sources, including accident report excerpts in the Accidents and Serious Incidents section.

Definitions

Ineffective Emergency Communication — This outcome may be attributed to issues such as: pilots or flight attendants failing to share critical information; unwarranted delays before communicating about an imminent threat to safety; misjudgments or misinterpretations of what someone observed; imprecise or incorrect terminology; or, significant errors while passing safety-critical information among flight deck/cabin crewmembers under high stress.