MD-80 Tailcone Evacuation Slide

This uncommon evacuation exit -- still found today on MD-80, DC-9 and B-717 aircraft -- is unique in that it involves the jettisoning of a complete aircraft part, in this case, the tailcone. For most air carriers, this exit is considered to be a secondary exit, the preferred being the main cabin doors or overwing exits. The opening of the aft pressure bulkhead is designed to actuate the firing of pins holding the tailcone in position. (The door has been designed so that you cannot do this if the aircraft is in flight.) If this does not work, the flight attendant must enter the walkway and then pull the manual tailcone release handle on the aircraft's left side at the end of the walkway. The particular aircraft belonged to Jet America, based out of Long Beach, CA.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Evacuation
• slide
• tailcone
• escape
• emergency
• MD-80

[Aero1000able]

What's The Airline?

[Markhk]

@Aero1000able The airline no longer exists, but it was Jet America Airlines based out of LGB. It was bought out by Alaska Airlines back in the late 1980s.

[redcarsarasota]

If one went down in water and the nose was under water, I bet you guys wouldn't be making fun of the tail cone emergency exit anymore.

[Markhk]

@redcarsarasota It's a little unlikely that the tailcone would be used in a ditching. The aircraft is "tail heavy" so ditching studies suggest that the tailcone would be submerged in the water. The preferred exits on a MD-80 during a ditching is the overwing exits.

[plasticspastic201]

this is a load of crap! what a useless design. notice they had to drag the tailcone away from the chute. in real life emergency there wouldnt be any dragging away of the cone and the chute would just open onto the cone. pathetic designers. they all lie.

[Markhk]

@plasticspastic201 You should watch the CNN/ AP video on yesterday's MD-88 Delta Flight 2284 evacuation. Tailcone clearly does not deploy properly. Yikes!

[Carmarthan415]

so in realtime action, the tail con would become an obstacle for the slide?? and people would slide into the cone???

[Gold3010]

Wierd!!!

[MoustachesAreEpic]

@Carmarthan415 Yes, the cone also provides as a raft. XD

[albear972]

Damn! never knew that the DC9/MD series had this escape route.

[PrzypadkowyOgladacz]

@redcarsarasota If one went down in water and the nose was under water, no one would use the tail cone emergency exit, because the minute it is open, everybody under the water level gets drowned inside the plane.

[ghettoperson257]

@cliffb42 just like what McDonnell Douglas did with DC-10 and MD-11 the MD-11 has a straight cut tail whereas DC-10 has a rounded cut tail

[leonelp51]

@StealthCessnaCombats not fake,all the DC-9 family (DC-9 itself, MD-80 /90 and 717) have this.

[cliffb42]

@ghettoperson257 The MD-80 tail cone with the straight cut was a modification for fuel efficiency. The modification can be made to any of the DC-9/MD-80 airplanes.

[RightWingAviator]

hahah, if it were ditched and that happened it would probably fill up like a soda can

[Aviat92]

When the tail cone falls it's supposed to roll away. And what you see here is that they let the tail cone fall into the net to protect it from damage so they can use it again without having to inspect it and repair it.