Narrative:

This letter is in regard to safety harnesses for lap children. I have designed a safety harness, which I know will increase the safety of our young travelers, 'lap children.' my suggestion is for every aircraft, carrying lap children, require that the child be harnessed onto a parent. I realize that most parents would prefer to drive, as opposed to flying, if they had to purchase a seat for a lap child. I am also aware that statistically children are at greater danger being driven than flown. Granted these are the reasons, I still believe that children should have the right to the same air safety standards as we adults do. I am presently a flight attendant for an airline, and have been for the past 5 yrs. I have experienced severe turbulence, aircraft coming to a sudden stop on a taxiway, rough approachs, etc. Furthermore, I have witnessed many cases in which parents are unable to restrain a lap child. It is an FAA regulation, as per our flight attendant manual, to enforce that everyone adheres to the seat belt sign during aircraft pushback, taxi, takeoff, approach, turbulence, etc. Therefore it should be required that children be harnessed, if not to a seat, then to their parents at these high incident/accident times. My design is very simple, and I am sure would also be very inexpensive. I am the mother of 2 very small children, and if I was aware of safety measures that I could take to protect my children, I would willingly adhere to them. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that she has contacted someone from the NTSB and was informed that a test was done with children fastened similarly and in rapid deceleration the children were crushed. She does not feel that her harness would cause such a reaction. It is like half of a life vest with straps around the parent's back and the child facing the parent, similar to the infant carriers one sees. This harness, however, is expandable and can be used for larger children who might be thrown from laps. Recommended the FAA hot line and contact of various safety organizations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING A CHILD SAFETY HARNESS SHE HAS INVENTED AND WOULD LIKE THE FAA TO REQUIRE FOR LAP CHILDREN ON BOARD AN ACFT.

Narrative: THIS LETTER IS IN REGARD TO SAFETY HARNESSES FOR LAP CHILDREN. I HAVE DESIGNED A SAFETY HARNESS, WHICH I KNOW WILL INCREASE THE SAFETY OF OUR YOUNG TRAVELERS, 'LAP CHILDREN.' MY SUGGESTION IS FOR EVERY ACFT, CARRYING LAP CHILDREN, REQUIRE THAT THE CHILD BE HARNESSED ONTO A PARENT. I REALIZE THAT MOST PARENTS WOULD PREFER TO DRIVE, AS OPPOSED TO FLYING, IF THEY HAD TO PURCHASE A SEAT FOR A LAP CHILD. I AM ALSO AWARE THAT STATISTICALLY CHILDREN ARE AT GREATER DANGER BEING DRIVEN THAN FLOWN. GRANTED THESE ARE THE REASONS, I STILL BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO THE SAME AIR SAFETY STANDARDS AS WE ADULTS DO. I AM PRESENTLY A FLT ATTENDANT FOR AN AIRLINE, AND HAVE BEEN FOR THE PAST 5 YRS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURB, ACFT COMING TO A SUDDEN STOP ON A TXWY, ROUGH APCHS, ETC. FURTHERMORE, I HAVE WITNESSED MANY CASES IN WHICH PARENTS ARE UNABLE TO RESTRAIN A LAP CHILD. IT IS AN FAA REG, AS PER OUR FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL, TO ENFORCE THAT EVERYONE ADHERES TO THE SEAT BELT SIGN DURING ACFT PUSHBACK, TAXI, TKOF, APCH, TURB, ETC. THEREFORE IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED THAT CHILDREN BE HARNESSED, IF NOT TO A SEAT, THEN TO THEIR PARENTS AT THESE HIGH INCIDENT/ACCIDENT TIMES. MY DESIGN IS VERY SIMPLE, AND I AM SURE WOULD ALSO BE VERY INEXPENSIVE. I AM THE MOTHER OF 2 VERY SMALL CHILDREN, AND IF I WAS AWARE OF SAFETY MEASURES THAT I COULD TAKE TO PROTECT MY CHILDREN, I WOULD WILLINGLY ADHERE TO THEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT SHE HAS CONTACTED SOMEONE FROM THE NTSB AND WAS INFORMED THAT A TEST WAS DONE WITH CHILDREN FASTENED SIMILARLY AND IN RAPID DECELERATION THE CHILDREN WERE CRUSHED. SHE DOES NOT FEEL THAT HER HARNESS WOULD CAUSE SUCH A REACTION. IT IS LIKE HALF OF A LIFE VEST WITH STRAPS AROUND THE PARENT'S BACK AND THE CHILD FACING THE PARENT, SIMILAR TO THE INFANT CARRIERS ONE SEES. THIS HARNESS, HOWEVER, IS EXPANDABLE AND CAN BE USED FOR LARGER CHILDREN WHO MIGHT BE THROWN FROM LAPS. RECOMMENDED THE FAA HOT LINE AND CONTACT OF VARIOUS SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.