Consensus Report 341: Are Wheelchair Securement Systems Feasible for Airline Travel? A Preliminary Assessment

Consensus Report 341 examined the feasibility of a wheelchair securement system for use in airplane cabins. The report found that (1) most airplanes have enough doorway and interior space to enable a power or manual wheelchair to enter and exit the passenger cabin and maneuver to and from a securement location with sufficient room for the securement system and medically essential wheelchair position adjustments to function; (2) an airplane floor and its structure can accommodate the loadings imparted by an occupied power wheelchair; and (3) a secured personal wheelchair can meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) crashworthiness, occupant injury protection, and other relevant air transportation safety requirements. The report explains that more work is needed to understand how secured personal wheelchairs are likely to perform relative to certain FAA safety criteria in restraining and protecting occupants during a survivable airplane crash or emergency landing. The report also identifies several important airline operational and passenger accommodation issues that warrant careful consideration as part of any initiative to develop and introduce an in-cabin wheelchair securement system.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; Photos;
  • Pagination: pp 39-40
  • Serial:
    • TR News
    • Issue Number: 337
    • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
    • ISSN: 0738-6826

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01838661
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Mar 16 2022 10:19AM