FAA simulates severe aircraft crash to develop new safety standards

Airline Industry Information, July 31, 2003

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) yesterday (30 July) simulated a severe but survivable aircraft crash in order to develop new airline safety standards.

Engineers dropped a 32-seat turboprop aircraft, similar to those used by regional carriers, from a height of 14 feet. The test - the last of four aircraft drops conducted by the FAA at the William J. Hughes Technical Center since 1992 - involved an aircraft equipped with more than 130 sensors to measure the acceleration and damage to the fuselage, seats, storage bins and fuel tanks. Four still cameras were also mounted inside the aircraft, which contained 23 crash dummies, some equipped with instruments to measure human reaction to the crash.

The data from the test - which will take six months to gather and analyse - will be used for developments such as energy-absorbent seats.

The agency is expected to issue a report on all four tests in about a year's time, The Associated Press reported.

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