What happened
On the afternoon of August 3, 2018, a Czech Airlines flight, OK-PET, was taxiing on taxiway D toward runway 22R at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, preparing for a scheduled service to Prague. During the taxi, passengers and cabin crew noticed grey smoke appearing in the middle of the passenger cabin. The smoke intensified, prompting a flight attendant to notify the purser via the interphone. The captain subsequently halted the aircraft on the taxiway.
As the smoke became more apparent, some passengers began shouting to alert the crew. The captain decided to initiate an emergency evacuation. During the evacuation, the use of emergency slides caused significant movement in the cabin; some passengers rushed past slower-moving individuals, and several children were caught in the crush. Additionally, passengers tripped over carry-on luggage in the aisles. The evacuation resulted in 26 passengers sustaining minor injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events, the effectiveness of the emergency response, and the coordination between the aircraft crew, air traffic control, and emergency services. Investigators analyzed the smoke's origin, the crew's decision-making process, the technical aspects of the evacuation, and the accessibility of the accident site for rescue units.
Findings
- The smoke was believed to have originated from the cargo compartment.
- During the evacuation, the aircraft engines were still running when the doors were opened. This caused the emergency slides at the rear doors to flap and tilt due to the engine jet blast, preventing passengers from exiting through those doors for approximately 33 seconds.
- The crew's decision to evacuate was prompted by the visible smoke, but the investigation noted that the engines were not shut down before the evacuation began, creating a risk of passengers being ingested into the running engines.
- The primary cause of the evacuation difficulty was the engine thrust affecting the stability of the emergency slides.
- There were delays in the arrival of various emergency and police units at the scene because the current airport procedures do not guarantee unimpeded access for responders to accident sites located within the movement area while active traffic continues.
Safety action
- The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was recommended to ensure operators include scenarios in training where cabin crew initiate an evacuation without a direct command from the captain.
- It was recommended that Airbus re-evaluate evacuation instructions regarding the necessity of immediate engine shutdown during an evacuation.
- The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) was advised to ensure that Helsinki-Vantaa has a functional procedure to guarantee unimpeded access for emergency services to the movement area.