Flying? No Fear! by Captain Adrian Akers-Douglas & Dr. George Georgiou

Author:Captain Adrian Akers-Douglas & Dr. George Georgiou
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Summersdale Publisher

There has been some talk of equipping aircraft with ‘smoke hoods’ for the passengers, which could be donned if a fire breaks out and the cabin fills with fumes. These give the head some protection, and a built-in air supply enables the wearer to breath even in a heavily contaminated atmosphere. However, current opinion amongst the aviation safety regulatory bodies is that these things are of limited use: untrained persons find them hard to put on, and there is also a risk that they engender a false sense of security and impede the speed at which an aircraft can be evacuated.

Other work has been carried out on ‘water-mist’ systems. These consist of nozzles spraying a fine mist of water into the cabin in the event of a fire or accident, and have been shown to be remarkably successful in containing fire, smoke, and heat. However, various problems have so far prevented them from being fitted to airliners: not least having to ensure that they cannot be discharged inadvertently: a few score soggy passengers is one thing, but the effect an unwanted deluge might have on the aircraft’s delicate electronics is another.

Fires in aircraft cargo holds can be disastrous, and several fatal accidents have resulted from such incidents. The main line of defence against cargo hold fires is preventing hazardous items getting onto the aircraft in the first place. There is a long list of restricted items which cannot be carried on passenger flights, or which must be specially packed if they are to be flown.

Anyone sending freight by air is required to sign declarations stating what their consignment consists of – with very severe penalties for any cheating. Airline freight personnel check packages carefully for any signs of damage before they are loaded.

It is less easy to control what passengers put in their suitcases. Did YOU know, for example, that you should not carry mercury thermometers or barometers? If they break, even tiny amounts of mercury can react with the metal skin of the aircraft and cause immense damage. Or non-safety matches which can ignite spontaneously and cause a fire in your suitcase, which can then spread to other baggage and freight?

If a fire does break out in a cargo hold or amongst the baggage, it will be detected by sensors in those areas. The holds themselves are usually either airtight, so any fire will quickly be starved of oxygen and go out, or they will be equipped with fire extinguishers which can be discharged from the cockpit.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.