- Author
-
Nicol, D. J.
- Title
- Evaluation of In-Cabin Safety Features in Passenger Aircraft.
- Coporate
- Cranfield Institute of Technology, Bedford, UK
- Report
-
Thesis
August 1990
209 p.
- Keywords
-
aircraft fires
|
aircraft compartments
|
water sprays
|
mist
|
exits
|
aircraft safety
|
egress
|
survival
|
mathematical models
- Identifiers
- smoke hoods; tender-fed water mist spray system; seat pitch; aisle width
- Abstract
- As a result of the Manchester air disaster, in which 55 people were killed, the Air Accident Investigation Board's report highlighted several factors that could have increased the possibility of more people being saved. Among others, the report recommended: that urgent consideration should be given to formulate a requirement for the provision of smoke hoods for passengers, that an onboard and tender-fed water mist spray system should be developed and that a review of cabin configuration with special reference to seat pitch and aisle width in and around emergency exits should be conducted. This thesis seeks to identify and evaluate, within an economic framework, safety features as related to in-cabin design of passenger carring aircraft, which might improve the egress capability of passengers after a survivable accident. The thesis reviews factors and safety features that could influence the survival of passengers in an emergency situation and selects three options; the introduction passenger smoke hoods, the installation of a water mist spray system and seat pitch variation as a basis for the further study. A major part of the thesis is the development of a mathematical model which is used to determine the effect of cost and weight is used to determine the effect of cost and weight changes, associated with installation of each option, on the cost per revenue seat before and after modification. Finally, the relationship between seat costs, seat pricing and passenger load factors is examined.