- Author
- Reynolds, T. L. | Porter, K. W.
- Title
- Aircraft Cabin Water Spray Disbenefits Study. Final Report.
- Coporate
- Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, Seattle, WA
- Sponsor
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Hampton, VA Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC
- Report
- DOT/FAA/CT-92/6; ACD-240, October 1993, 148 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- NASI-18027
- Keywords
- aircraft compartments | water sprays | postcrash fires | toxic gases | flashover | evacuation
- Identifiers
- water mist; cabin water spray; cabin safety; aircraft passenger cabin; heat removal
- Abstract
- The concept of utilizing a cabin water spray system (CWSS) as a means of increasing passenger evacuation and survival time following an accident has received considerable publicity and has been the subject of testing by the regulatory agencies in both the United States and Europe. A test program, initiated by the CAA in 1987, involved the regulatory bodies in both Europe and North America in a collaborative research effort to determine the benefits and "disbenefits" (disadvantages) of a CWSS. In order to obtain a balanced opinion of an onboard CWSS, NASA, and FAA requested the Boeing commercial Airplane Group to investigate the potential "disbenefits" of the proposed system from the perspective of the manufacturer and an operator. This report is the result of a year-long, cost-sharing contract study between the Boeing CommercialAirplane Group, NASA and FAA. Delta Air Lines participated as a subcontract study team member and investigated the "return to service" costs for an aircraft that would experience an uncommanded operation of a CWSS without the presence of fire. Disbenefits identified in the report include potential delays in evacuation, introduction of "common cause failure" in redundant safety of flight systems, physiological problems for passengers, high cost of refurbishment for inadvertent discharge, and potential to negatively affect other safety systems.