GUIDE: What to Do If an Elevator Suddenly Drops

(SPOT.ph) In Metro Manila, elevators are part of daily life—they're the necessary transport vehicles in residential towers, office buildings, and malls. Riding one is something most people don’t think twice about, until one hears of an incident, like somebody getting trapped in an elevator, or worse an elevator allegedly "free-falling." If something like that happens to you, what are you actually supposed to do—and can elevators really just drop like that?

Let’s start with the biggest fear. Under Rule 1220 of the National Building Code of the Philippines, elevators aren’t supposed to plunge uncontrollably down a shaft. Elevator manufacturer Schindler even calls elevators “the world’s most widely used and safest form of mass transportation”—which, to be fair, is exactly what you’d expect a manufacturer to say, but the point still stands.

There's a reason why they say this. It gets a little technical, but stay with us here. Elevators are required to have built-in safety features that stop the car if something goes wrong. These devices include multiple cables, shock-absorbing buffers, and mechanical safety parts designed to stop the car or counterweight when needed, so it's not just a single component holding the elevator in place. If an elevator starts moving faster than it should, a mechanical governor kicks in and triggers safety brakes that clamp onto the rails inside the shaft, bringing the car to a stop. This system is also mechanical, not electronic, which means it works even if there is no electricity in the building.

Incidents often described by passengers as a “free fall” are actually a sudden drop of a few floors followed by a hard stop, when buffers and safety devices do exactly what they’re meant to do under Rule 1225 of the National Building Code. This is also why elevators will sometimes move slowly to a lower floor after a malfunction—once a fault is detected, the system is designed to bring the car to a safe stop or return it to a designated level where passengers can be evacuated by trained personnel.

Now that we know the facts, we can deal with the situation with a little more peace of mind. So what should you do if you’re inside an elevator that suddenly drops, stops, or malfunctions?

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One thing is clear right away: don’t jump. It’s a common instinct to jump, but this will actually work against you (even MythBusters says so). If you jump, you’re likely to land harder, not softer, because you lose contact with the floor just as it pushes back up. It also increases the risk of falling, colliding with walls, or landing awkwardly. On top of all that, it’s almost impossible to time a jump correctly.

Part of the reason there’s so much confusion is that elevator manufacturers don’t actually issue public instructions for what to do during a “free fall”—because, as we have discussed, modern elevators are not designed to free-fall in the first place.

This hasn’t stopped experts from weighing in over the years. In a 2012 article by The New York Times, a researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that that if an elevator were somehow to hit the bottom at full speed, lying flat on your back could theoretically help distribute the force of impact across the body: “This [is] so that no particular part of your body is subjected to the weight of any other part of your body. The impact of the elevator at the bottom of the shaft would subject you to extreme gravitational acceleration, or G-forces.”

Realistically, though, most people are far more likely to experience a sudden stop—not a catastrophic free fall. For that scenario, local safety advice looks very different. According to Safety and Security Manager Dr. Jerry Carual in Unang Hirit, brace yourself by bending your knees slightly and holding the handrail, if available. Being in this “spring” position helps you absorb the shock and stay balanced in a tight space.

Once the initial horror is over, the safest response is also the simplest: stay inside the elevator. Never try to pry the doors open or climb out on your own, as this could lead to a serious accident. The elevator car is built to remain secure even when it is not moving normally. According to Schindler, press the emergency button or intercom to contact building security or maintenance. If there is no response, use your phone to contact building management, security, or emergency services.

Carual said one thing you can do—before anything even goes wrong—is to follow the elevator’s posted maximum load and passenger limit. Those signs aren’t just there for show. Exceeding it puts extra strain on the car, cables, and safety systems, increasing the chances of stalls or malfunctions—especially in high-rise buildings where elevators are already working hard throughout the day. This is likely why many elevators refuse to close its doors if the car becomes overweight.

Under the National Building Code, building owners and property managers are responsible for keeping elevators in good working condition. If residents notice recurring problems—like unusual movements or non-working emergency buttons—they can document these incidents and report them to building management.

If issues aren’t addressed, complaints can be escalated to the Office of the Building Official, which has the authority to inspect elevators and require safety violations to be corrected. The Office of the Building Official (OBO) is the local government office in charge of enforcing the National Building Code at the city or municipal level (think Quezon City OBO, Manila OBO and so on).

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