FAA warns airlines: Luggage retrieval delays emergency evacuations & can cost lives
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) 25003, warning of the serious risks when passengers try to retrieve carry-on…
September 22, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) 25003, warning of the serious risks when passengers try to retrieve carry-on baggage during emergency evacuations.
The alert, issued on 16 September, urges airlines to reinforce safety briefings, ensuring that passengers clearly understand one essential message: leave everything behind.
“Operational data, post-event analyses, and safety reports have identified a recurring safety hazard: passenger attempts to retrieve carry-on items during evacuations,” the SAFO reads, “This behaviour directly affects safety by undermining evacuation efficiency.”
The FAA also made it clear that in recent incidents, passengers stopping to collect personal items during an evacuation delayed their own exit as well as those around them, increasing the potential for injury or death. SAFO 25003 calls on carriers to update pre-flight safety briefings, use clear signage and visuals, and improve crew training to address this issue.
A 2021 study from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University found that evacuating with hand luggage significantly increases total exit time, even if just half of the passengers choose to do so.
In simulations, passengers grabbing hand luggage led to crowding at exits, longer aisle clearance times and more injuries during slide evacuations. Slides are also at higher risk of being damaged.
The conclusion is obvious: bringing personal items during emergencies could cost lives.
Real-world incidents highlight the risks of collecting luggage in an emergency evacuation
The dangers of taking baggage during an evacuation are well-documented.
In May 2019, Aeroflot Flight SU1492, a Sukhoi Superjet 100, crash-landed in Moscow and caught fire. Video footage shows passengers escaping the burning aircraft with baggage in hand.
Tragically, 41 of the 78 people on board died, many in the rear of the aircraft. Investigators and observers have speculated that the death toll might have been lower if the aisles and exits had not been obstructed by passengers retrieving luggage.
Nor was this an isolated case. In June 2022, a Red Air MD-82 crash-landed at Miami International Airport after its landing gear collapsed. The aircraft veered off runway 09 and came to a standstill on the turf before one of the wings caught fire.
Once again, video footage showed people evacuating the aircraft with hand luggage. There were no fatalities, but the incident sparked criticism, with experts saying that even in non-fatal emergencies, retrieving personal items could easily result in injury or delayed evacuation.
More recently, in July 2025, an American Airlines flight was evacuated on the tarmac in Denver due to a fire. Despite announcements to leave everything behind, some passengers were again seen retrieving their carry-ons as they disembarked.
Although all 173 passengers and six crew were evacuated safely, the FAA is highlighting that this kind of behaviour puts everyone at greater risk by clogging aisles and slowing the flow of passengers towards emergency exits.
Bucking the trend: JAL evacuation proves why leaving bags saves lives
There is, however, a powerful example of getting it right.
In January 2024, Japan Airlines Flight 516 collided with a coastguard aircraft while landing at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The aircraft quickly caught fire and filled with smoke. Yet, all 379 passengers on board evacuated safely. One key factor? No one took their bags.
The aftermath of Japan Airlines Flight 516 after it collided with a Coast Guard plane while landing.
— Aviation (@webflite) June 14, 2024
It was the first major accident and hull loss of an Airbus A350. pic.twitter.com/pfDiHlnNa7
Video and witness reports confirmed that passengers followed crew instructions, stayed calm, and exited promptly. Experts praised the orderly evacuation and noted it likely prevented casualties.
It has also been mooted that Japanese culture’s strong emphasis on collective responsibility and rule-following likely contributed to the calm, orderly evacuation as well. Passengers prioritised group safety over individual belongings.
How airlines can reinforce no-luggage evacuations
The FAA’s SAFO 25003 recommends that airlines take steps to drive the message home to passengers. This includes clear, standardised pre-flight messaging, strategic signage at gates and enhanced training for flight crews to recognise and respond to risky passenger behaviour.
Ultimately, in an emergency, seconds matter. When lives are at stake, retrieving a bag can delay escape and put others at risk. The safest choice is the simplest one: take nothing with you.
