How should you deal with a damaged or missing safety equipment, such as a life vest or oxygen mask?

• A. Ignore until after flight.
• B. Report the issue to maintenance or the appropriate department, secure replacement, and ensure passengers are informed.
• C. Use backup equipment from another plane.
• D. Remove passengers from aircraft.

Answer: (B)

Damaged or missing safety equipment is a safety-critical issue that must be handled through proper procedures. The best approach is to report the issue to maintenance or the appropriate department, secure a replacement, and inform passengers. This keeps the aircraft compliant and ready, ensures life-saving equipment is available if needed, and helps passengers understand the safety situation. Ignoring the issue is dangerous; using equipment from another aircraft may violate maintenance standards and be unsafe; removing passengers is not an appropriate response to equipment problems.