Which exit do you not use for ditching?

Which exit do you not use for ditching?

• A. Forward doors
• B. Overwing exits
• C. Aft doors
• D. Tail hatch

Answer: (C)

In a ditching, the priority is to evacuate through exits that remain usable as the aircraft settles on the water and to get everyone onto life rafts safely. Opening the rear exits can be dangerous because water rushes in from the back as the fuselage settles, which can quickly flood the cabin and destabilize the float. That makes the aft doors the least reliable option in a water landing. Forward doors and overwing exits are designed to function in this scenario, with slides that can convert to rafts and stay accessible as the aircraft floats. The tail hatch isn’t relied on for standard ditching evacuations, so the rear doors are avoided.

In a ditching, the priority is to evacuate through exits that remain usable as the aircraft settles on the water and to get everyone onto life rafts safely. Opening the rear exits can be dangerous because water rushes in from the back as the fuselage settles, which can quickly flood the cabin and destabilize the float. That makes the aft doors the least reliable option in a water landing. Forward doors and overwing exits are designed to function in this scenario, with slides that can convert to rafts and stay accessible as the aircraft floats. The tail hatch isn’t relied on for standard ditching evacuations, so the rear doors are avoided.