In the chaos of a flight emergency, every second counts—but one common mistake could put everyone at risk. Here's what you need to know.
This Is the One Thing You Should Never Do During an Emergency Evacuation on a Flight
Published on Mar. 13, 2025
If I get to choose how I leave this world, a plane crash is definitely not in my top five ways to go. A little dark? Maybe. But let’s be honest—after the spate of recent airline incidents that have been all over the news, a lot of us have had the same thought. That’s why, every time I fly, I actually pay attention to the flight attendants’ safety speeches. If there’s a way to make it out alive, you bet I want to know about it.
“In my 11 years of flying, I’ve never been in an emergency evacuation situation, thank heavens, but we still train for it as if our lives depend on it—because there may come a day when they do,” says Sydney Anistine, a current flight attendant and pilot in training with a major U.S. airline.
She’s right. Most of the time, flights are smooth sailing (er, smooth flying?). We snack, watch an in-flight movie, maybe experience a little turbulence, but nothing too wild. Nobody really expects to be in a full-blown emergency evacuation. Yet, it happens. And if it does, there’s one mistake you really don’t want to make—one that could cost you and others on the plane precious seconds.
What is it? Read on to find out, as well as to get pro tips and flying hacks from Anistine that could save your life.
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How quickly do flight attendants try to evacuate a plane if there’s an emergency?
The answer: very fast. “As fast as possible, ideally, but it must be under 90 seconds,” says Anistine.
That’s right: The industry standard is 90 seconds to get everyone off the plane—a minute and a half to evacuate a metal tube packed with hundreds of people, half of whom still don’t know how to unbuckle their seat belts. (Pay attention to the in-flight briefing, people!)
Flight attendants aren’t just there to pass out pretzels. These professionals go through extensive training for this exact scenario. In those 90 seconds, they have to open the emergency doors, direct panicked passengers, deploy emergency slides and sometimes physically guide people toward the exits, she says.
So the last thing they need is someone blocking the aisle because they just can’t leave behind their duty-free haul.
What is the common mistake people often make when evacuating?
If you guessed grabbing their luggage, you are correct! “In an evacuation, you must leave everything behind,” Anistine says. “Do not stop to grab anything, no matter how important you think it is.”
Why is it such a big deal? Anistine breaks it down:
It could get people killed
An emergency evacuation is all about time, so anything that slows down the process can have fatal consequences. Picture this: The plane is filling with smoke, alarms are blaring and instead of running for the exit, someone stops to wrestle their carry-on out of the overhead bin. Meanwhile, 30 people behind them are trying to get out, but nope—Todd in 14C needs his laptop. Best-case scenario, this just slows down the evacuation. Worst-case scenario? We don’t even want to think about it.
It’s a tripping or falling hazard
Even if you’re not slowing down everyone else, dealing with bags can make you less coordinated. Trying to sprint toward the exit while dragging a roller bag is basically a recipe for disaster. You could end up tripping yourself or others, creating a life-threatening backup. And that’s if you don’t accidentally whack someone in the face with it while trying to get it out of the overhead bin first.
“We have these carry-on issues all the time in nonemergency situations,” Anistine says. “In an emergency, it would be a million times worse.” (This is also part of good airplane etiquette.)
It can damage the emergency slide
Emergency slides are built for humans, not wheeled suitcases, heavy backpacks or whatever other “personal item” you’ve filled to the brim. Bag wheels, handles and other potentially sharp items (including stiletto heels!) can puncture or damage the emergency slide. And the last thing you want is to be responsible for puncturing the only safe way off the plane.
It sets a bad example
Humans often play “monkey see, monkey do” in the best of situations, but this instinct to follow others is even more pronounced in an emergency situation in which everyone’s brains have reverted to primal mode. So if someone sees you shoving things in your purse to take with you, they might decide they should too.
It makes other people angry
And angry people can make the evacuation even harder. It may also make the flight attendants yell at you—and they won’t feel bad about it, Anistine says. In fact, they’ve been trained to speak firmly and loudly at you if you’re slowing things down. Emotions are already running high, so don’t do anything to further inflame the situation or cause fights. “Everyone needs to work together to get out safely,” she says.
And don’t forget: “At the end of the day, things are replaceable—people aren’t,” she says.
Are any bags OK to take with you?
The general rule: No. Drop everything and run (in an orderly fashion).
What should you put in your personal carry-on item?
If you’re really worried about leaving essential items behind, the best plan is to be prepared before anything happens. These pro tips can help:
- Keep your really important stuff in a small, soft bag. Think: passport, ID, medication, wallet, phone and valuables (like jewelry, not your entire watch collection).
- Store it under the seat in front of you. Overhead bins are off-limits in an emergency—ain’t nobody got time for that.
- Make peace with the fact that your laptop might not make it. It’s replaceable. You are not.
If it’s a true life-or-death situation—and you should trust what the flight attendants are telling you, regardless of what you personally may think—don’t even grab these things. However, if it’s just an urgent situation, you may be able to grab the small bag.
Not sure what to do? Leave it to the professionals. “Wait for a flight attendant or the pilot to give commands,” Anistine says. “Don’t grab anything or, heaven forbid, try to open an emergency exit until we tell you.”
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Source:
- Sydney Anistine, a flight attendant and pilot in training with a major U.S. airline; phone interview, March 11, 2025
