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Old 19th Nov 2013, 13:50
  #28 (permalink)  
WHBM
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
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The evac criteria seem quite reasonable. The Air France A340 evac at Toronto after a major overrun and consequent fire, with all OK showed that it was quite an appropraite set of requirements.

The Japanese 747s with about 540 seats, with only a small business class, rest all-economy seated, were fine, and still inside the evac requirements with a margin. That margin is your assurance.

A commercial failure was the original 737-900. This looked at the 737-800, evac limit of 189 seats, noted that most mainstream mixed FY class operators in fact only had about 150 seats in it, and did a stretch which had about 180 mixed class and still met the evac limits without changing the exits, but squeezing that margin. Such an aircraft was not saleable (or re-leaseable) to the LCCs of this world, but theoretically would suit mainstream carriers. It was a sales flop (with good reason). The 737-900ER re-engineered the exits with larger doors etc which gave a standard evac limit, and has been notably more successful.
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