The FAA has just released a new Improvements to Cabin Safety Fact Sheet. It is part of the FAA’s continuing research to upgrade cabin safety requirements to “increase the likelihood of passenger survivability in aviation accidents.”
FAA cabin research is done conducted at The William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J. and the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City leads the FAA teams on cabin research. This report includes the following highlights of examples of advancements in cabin safety, based upon their research:
- Seat cushions must comply with a new regulation requiring fire-blocking layers. Air carriers replaced 650,000 foam seat cushions on the U.S. fleet.
- After research determined that floor lighting was critical for passenger safety and escape during a fire, by 1986, US and many foreign commercial airplanes were retrofitted with floor proximity lighting.
- With more research into heat and smoke emisions, interior materials were improved and upgraded with ongoing improvements to the thermal and acoustic insulation. Similar interior improvements for fire safety were made in the Class C and D cargo and baggage compartments, inclujding improved fire detection/suppression systems.
- While initiated in 1988, air carriers are still upgrading their air passenger seats to “16G seats”. Previously passenger seats were approved to a static 9g standard. The FAA is currently working on pushing harder for replacement of the old seats on all domestic airplanes.
