Cranfield University and the University of Greenwich are collaborating on a study aimed at improving the safety of evacuation from airplanes.

Experts are now seeking around 400 participants to take part in the study, which will focus on observing the exiting behaviour of those aged between 18 and 65 years old, from a stationary airplane.

The evacuation trial – part of a larger aviation project – is being designed by the University of Greenwich.

The aircraft used will be the Boeing 737 stationed outside Cranfield University’s Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) facility.

The researchers will explore the choices made by passengers during evacuation scenarios and investigate the influence of the cabin design upon participants’ decisions.

Zuzana Chin, Safety & Accident Investigation Centre Mastership Manager at Cranfield University, said: "Understanding human behaviour during aircraft evacuation scenarios is crucial for enhancing safety measures.

“Our collaboration with the University of Greenwich allows us to study the choices made by participants and evaluate the impact of cabin design on their decisions.

“The aim of this study is to drive improvements of evacuation procedures and ultimately enhance aviation safety."

Volunteers will board the demonstration airplane and experience an evacuation scenario.

They will be instructed to leave their seats and safely make their way to an exit door before tapping it. Video cameras positioned throughout the cabin will record the exiting behaviour of the participants. After disembarking, participants will return to an adjacent building to complete a questionnaire, which will cover topics such as seat location, chosen exit, reasons for the choice, and perceptions of cabin aspects.

The airplane will always remain stationary during the experiment and emergency evacuation slides will not be used. There will be no smoke in the cabin to simulate an emergency, but audio will be used to replicate the start of engines.

Participation in the study is voluntary, and people can withdraw at any time, either before or during the experiment.

The research exercise takes place between 15 and 20 August this year.

To register an interest in taking part, please sign up on the Cranfield University website.

You can find out more about Cranfield’s heritage in pioneering aviation safety research in this news article.