Grabbing bags, clicking selfies: FAA issues new warning amid 'stupid' acts that put passengers at risk

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has raised alarm at passengers grabbing their bags and other items during emergency evacuations, stating that this is a safety risk, View from the Wing reported. This comes amid recent instances where passengers were seen taking their belongings with them while sliding to safety from planes. One person was seen with their rollaboard as they went down the emergency slide and tumbled with it across the tarmac. The FAA has urged airlines to update their emergency evacuation procedures to ensure everyone is safe in such a scenario. Another big concern being flagged by officials is the urge to take selfies. People often stop on the plane and take a picture to capture the moment for social media before sliding down. It's shocking how people ignore the smoke, the noise, the call by cabin crew to rush to safety to take videos and photos of the emergency.

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Passengers seen taking selfies during emergenc y evacuations

The FAA, in its new Safety Alert warning, said that passengers collecting bags leads to evacuations being delayed and that this can compromise “survivability during time-critical emergencies involving smoke, fire or structural damage.” It has asked them to change their safety instruction videos to incorporate “standardised, concise messaging stating that all bags or personal belongings must be left behind with no exceptions.” Industry experts pointed to incidents when grabbing the bags led to delays in timely evacuations. In 2023, a Southwest Airlines plane from Havana to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, started filling up with smoke after a bird hit and had to make an emergency landing. Videos of the evacuations showed people standing on plane wings and taking photos, and holding their carry-on bags as they slid down. Netizens slammed their "stupid" and ignorant" action during a safety issue.

In July 2025, an American Airlines flight had to be evacuated after its left main landing gear caught fire at Denver International Airport. A man was seen coming down with his luggage in one hand, and supposedly grabbing his child by the neck with the other. He later appears to fall on his child on the tarmac. He was slammed by netizens for prioritising his luggage over his child. Almost every other passenger was seen with their carry-on luggage. The FAA looked into such cases and wants airlines to update their guidelines and instructions to tell people not to grab their belongings during evacuations. Experts pointed out that pulling out belongings from overhead cabins during emergency evacuations puts everyone on board at risk, as passengers are stuck and have to wait to get off the plane.