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View Full Version : The GAO's Latest Comprehensive Report Card on the FAA's safety programs


Dagger Dirk
21st Oct 2003, 03:06
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0433.pdf

Well worth the 16mb download

Even contains some criticisms of the NTSB (by the FAA).....in particular that the NTSB does NOT pass on autopsy and survivor information. As any Vietnam veteran will tell you, this completely fouls up the body count statistics and makes it hard to justify the next Federal Budget Allocation vote.

Interesting topics include: (in precis format)

arc-fault circuit-breakers
multisensor detectors
fuel-tank inerting
water-mist fire suppression (gotta get rid of that Halon stuff because of the ozone layer)
Fire-Safe fuels
Ultra fire-resistant polymers
Thermal Acoustic Insulation Materials
Airport Rescue and Fire-Fighting Ops
Inflatable seat-belt air-bags (crash-bags)
Overhead Storage Bin Detachment Prevention
Retrofitting with more advanced seats and improved seat anchoring

Child Safety Seats

Potential Fire Safety Advancements
General Cabin Occupant Safety & Health
Improved Awareness of Radiation Exposure
Inflight Medical Emergs and Passengers with Certain Conditions
Advanced warnings of turbulence
overwing exit doors and general evacuations
Personal flotation devices
smokehoods
Exit Slide Testing
Occupation Health & Safety Standards for Flight Attendants
Next Generation Evac Equipt and Procedures
Acoustic Attraction Signals
Photo-Luminescent floor-track markings
Exit Seat Briefings and Pax Safety Briefings
ARFF Operations
Fuel-Tank Inerting
Child Safety

Improving the Speed and Chances of a successful Evacuation
Minimizing the Impact of a Crash

Reasons for Lengthy Delays in the FAA's Rule-making Processes and Research Priorities

zalt
26th Oct 2003, 17:32
I agree excellent report!

The autopsy issue is very important to cabin survival studies, and so are survivor statements on how they escaped. Greenwich University in the UK have done some excellent work on fixed wing evacuations, but apparently were hampered by a lack of detail in accident reports.