Improvements in Aircraft Fire Safety Derived from FAA Research Over the Last Decade

This technical note is an overview of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fire safety research over the past 10 or more years, with a focus on in-flight fire safety. The technical note emphasizes research accomplishments that have been, or are being, implemented into commercial aviation, as well as other important fire safety research. The research was driven by fatal accidents and safety concerns associated with new technology, such as: (1) hidden fire protection research led to the development of an improved fire test method for thermal acoustic insulation, which became a new FAA requirement, and the issuance of airworthiness directives to remove certain flammable insulation; (2) practical and cost-effective fuel tank inerting system was developed, enabling FAA to issue a regulation requiring flammability reduction in heated center wing fuel tanks. Related studies addressed the limiting oxygen concentration required to prevent a fuel tank explosion and fuel tank flammability; (3) a new test method was developed and mandated by the FAA that measures the burnthrough resistance of thermal acoustic insulation during a postcrash fuel fire; (4) hazardous materials research led to the adoption of new regulations and advisory material to provide safeguards for the shipment of oxygen generators/cylinders, lithium batteries, and aerosol cans; (5) research findings on structural composites were employed during the certification of the Boeing 787 to provide safety against a hidden in-flight fire, postcrash fire fuselage burnthrough resistance, and fuel tank flammability; (6) minimum performance standards were developed for halon replacement agents in lavatories, hand-held extinguishers, engines and cargo compartments, and the effectiveness and safety of replacement agents was evaluated; and (7) long-range fire safety research identified promising new ultra-fire-resistant polymers and improved the science for experimental and theoretical evaluation of material fire performance. In summary, FAA fire safety research over the past decade (2000-2010) developed technology that resulted in the adoption/issuance of five final regulations, two Airworthiness Directives, two Advisory Circulars, and two Safety Alerts for Operators, which are expected to significantly improve aircraft fire safety. In addition, this research also supported the certification of the all-composite fuselage, new Boeing 787 to ensure a high level of fire safety and the replacement of halon extinguishing agents and made important gains in characterizing and predicting the burning behavior of polymers and in developing ultra-fire-resistant interior materials.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/pdf/TN11-8.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  William J. Hughes Technical Center, Airport and Aircraft Safety Research and Development
  Atlantic City International Airport
  Atlantic City, NJ  United States  08405
• Authors:
  • Sarkos, Constantine
• Publication Date: 2011-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 36p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft; Aircraft materials; Aircraft structural components; Airworthiness; Aviation safety; Damping (Engineering); Fire; Fire resistance; Fire resistant materials; Fireproof materials; Flammability; Flammability tests; Fuel tanks; Hazardous materials; Research; Safety engineering; Standards; Test procedures; Vehicle fires
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01360668
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FAA/AR-TN11/8
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 25 2012 11:56AM