When preflighting the spare life vests, inspect for ____________ if the seal is not in place.

• A. foreign objects
• B. moisture
• C. tears
• D. corrosion

Answer: (A)

When a tamper seal is not in place on a spare life vest, the immediate concern is contamination or intrusion into the inflation system. The seal’s purpose is to protect the interior from debris and tampering, so if it’s missing you inspect for foreign objects that could have entered the housing or pack. Foreign objects could obstruct the inflation mechanism or valves and cause a failure when the vest is deployed, so identifying and removing any such objects is the critical check in this situation. Moisture, tears, or corrosion are important issues to look for in general, but the missing seal specifically flags the possibility of foreign material having gotten inside, which is why foreign objects is the best answer.