When activated, how long should the Emergency Lights last?

When activated, how long should the Emergency Lights last?

• A. 8 minutes
• B. 12 minutes
• C. 15 minutes
• D. 20 minutes

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how long emergency lighting remains active after normal power is lost. This duration is determined by the emergency lighting battery capacity and the system’s design to support safe evacuation. For this A320 scenario, the emergency lighting is specified to illuminate for 12 minutes after activation. That time frame ensures passengers can locate exits and crew can guide them to safety during the critical initial phase of an evacuation, even if normal power hasn’t returned yet. Shorter durations, like 8 minutes, would be insufficient for a full evacuation under some conditions, while longer durations such as 15 or 20 minutes would require more battery capacity and aren’t the standard configuration for this airplane.

The key idea is how long emergency lighting remains active after normal power is lost. This duration is determined by the emergency lighting battery capacity and the system’s design to support safe evacuation.

For this A320 scenario, the emergency lighting is specified to illuminate for 12 minutes after activation. That time frame ensures passengers can locate exits and crew can guide them to safety during the critical initial phase of an evacuation, even if normal power hasn’t returned yet. Shorter durations, like 8 minutes, would be insufficient for a full evacuation under some conditions, while longer durations such as 15 or 20 minutes would require more battery capacity and aren’t the standard configuration for this airplane.