U.S. airlines should do more to make sure passengers don’t try to evacuate with their carry-on bags, FAA says

People evacuate from an overturned Delta Connection CRJ-900 aircraft, operated by Endeavor Air, at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport on Feb. 17. (John Nelson via CNN Newsource)

Washington — The Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. announced a safety alert Friday morning telling American airlines they should do more to make sure passengers don’t try to evacuate with their carry-on bags in an emergency.

Bringing luggage during an evacuation can slow the process, potentially risking the lives of passengers still on the plane, and bags can damage emergency exit slides.

“It has been cited as a contributing factor in delayed evacuations, increased injury rates, and compromised survivability during time-critical emergencies involving smoke, fire, or structural damage,” the FAA alert said.

A string of recent incidents highlighted the potentially deadly practice, raising concern among aviation officials.

Passengers on board a Delta Air Lines regional jet that crashed in Toronto in February were seen on video exiting the flipped plane with their belongings.

In July, when the landing gear of an American Airlines Boeing 737 caught fire at Denver International Airport video captured passengers sliding out of the burning plane with luggage.

“Your belongings in your carry-on bag aren’t worth it,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in August after the incident. “Leave it.”

In this week’s safety alert, the FAA recommended the airlines conduct clear safety briefings, passenger outreach campaigns and leverage their safety management systems to warn passengers to leave their bags behind.

“Airlines should re-evaluate their emergency evacuation procedures, flight-crew training, announcements and commands to ensure passengers understand they must leave carry-on items behind during an emergency evacuation,” an FAA press release read.

The FAA is an agency with the United States Department of Transportation that’s responsible for the safety of civil aviation.