Red Tags: A Crucial Safety Measure Aircraft Crews Often Forget
On aircraft ramps around the world, long red ribbons printed with three words in white capitals are a common sight: REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT. These iconic tags have become so ubiquitous that they can even be found as keyrings and luggage tags.
Despite their bright colors, history shows that people still forget to remove them before flight, which can lead to catastrophic consequences. In 1975, a Royal Nepal Airlines Pilatus PC-6 Porter crashed just after takeoff from Kathmandu, killing five people, including the wife and daughter of Sir Edmund Hillary.
The worst accidents linked to ground equipment show why the system exists. On 2 October 1996, Aeroperú Flight 603, a Boeing 757, crashed into the Pacific off Peru, killing all 70 people aboard due to adhesive tape left over its static ports after cleaning. The instruments gave the crew false airspeed and altitude readings.
The Qantas Boeing 787 that departed Sydney on June 21, 2021, also suffered a similar issue when its landing gear downlock pins were still installed. The crew could not retract the gear and returned to the airport. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation stressed that crews must confirm pin removal rather than relying on streamers.
Aircrew check these tags every time they walk around an aircraft, but even with bright red ribbons, pins get missed sometimes. Positive verification of pin removal is essential, according to the ATSB.