Emergency escape hatches on ATR airplanes were hard to open. Now they get inspected.

The US aviation regulator proposes new rules for certain ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Régional airplanes. This means mechanics must inspect the flight deck emergency escape hatch drain hose for problems and fix them.

This rule addresses a specific safety issue: a flight deck escape hatch that was difficult to open. The problem was caused by incorrect parts affecting the drainage of the hatch. This change means a common maintenance oversight will now be caught and corrected, preventing a potential emergency during an evacuation.