Question 2 LB01 - Lifeboat Operator

The Correct Answer is C ### Why Option C is Correct: **C) After exiting clear of the helicopter** This is the standard and critical procedure taught in helicopter underwater escape training (HUET). You should only inflate your life jacket once you are entirely free of the helicopter and clear of the surrounding debris or rotor wash area. If the helicopter has ditched and submerged, inflating the life jacket while still inside the cabin or fuselage creates immediate and extreme buoyancy. This buoyancy will pin you forcefully against the ceiling or roof of the submerged aircraft, making it impossible to maneuver or swim down toward an exit opening, resulting in entrapment and impeding your escape. ### Why Other Options Are Incorrect: **A) Prior to reaching the water** Inflating the jacket before impact or before the aircraft stabilizes in the water is incorrect. If the helicopter rolls over (capsizes), which is highly likely during an uncontrolled water landing, the already-inflated jacket will pin you inside the cabin immediately upon submergence, preventing escape. **B) After reaching the water, but prior to exiting the helicopter** This is the most dangerous time to inflate the jacket. If the helicopter is submerged and potentially inverted, the buoyancy provided by the inflated jacket will trap the occupant against the roof of the cabin, making it nearly impossible to egress through windows or doors. The focus while submerged must be on exiting first, then floating. **D) Upon entering the helicopter** Life jackets are donned (put on) upon entering the helicopter, but they are not inflated. Inflating the jacket at this stage would serve no purpose, would make sitting difficult, and would immediately put the occupant in danger if an emergency ditching were to occur.