Aviation Safety: evolution of airplane interiors

The accident fatality rate for jet airplanes has fallen dramatically during the last 50 years. This decrease is due in part to continuing efforts by airplane manufacturers and regulators to use information gained from accidents to develop safer, more survivable airplanes. 

A history of improving airplane interiors

Since the first passenger airplane was introduced in the 1930s, airplane manufacturers have worked to make airplanes safer for the passengers and crew who fly in them. For example, Boeing has worked continuously to enhance the safety of its products and to lead the industry to higher levels of safety through global collaboration by working together, regulators, operators, and manufacturers can maximize safety by sharing knowledge and targeting safety efforts to address areas with the most risk. Some recent events highlight the safety of today’s passenger jet airplane interiors during takeoff and landing accidents.

Boeing 247, 1933

In December 2008, an airplane crashed while taking off, ending up on fire in a 40 foot deep ravine several hundred yards from the runway. There were no fatalities among the 115 passengers and crew, even though the metal fuselage had been breached by fire. 

In December 2009, an airplane carrying 154 passengers and crew overran the runway during a landing in heavy rain and broke apart. There were no fatalities. accidents involving the current generation of commercial airplanes are rare but offer important insights into advancements in the safety and crashworthiness of airplane design. These advancements reflect decades of innovation and targeted efforts to improve survivability in an airplane accident, especially during takeoffs and landings. 

Boeing 707, 1958

in august 2010, an airplane crashed while attempting to land during poor weather, breaking into three pieces on impact. There were 125 survivors among the 127 passengers and crew aboard the flight. The industry’s work on airplane safety and survivability of airplane interiors emphasizes three areas: surviving impact, surviving a fire, and evacuation.

Surviving Impact

Survivability is greatly influenced by seat design. The greater the ability of airplane seats to remain in place and absorb energy during an impact, the greater the likelihood of passenger survival. in addition, the seat back is designed to protect passengers behind the seat from head injury. Seat design. in the 1930s, passenger airplane seats could withstand a static force six times the force of gravity (6g). For commercial jet airplanes beginning in the 1950s, the 6g requirement was raised to 9g. Today’s seats are required to withstand a 16g dynamic force. a 16g seat is tested in a manner that simulates the loads that could be expected in an impactsurvivable accident. 

Boeing 787, 2001

Two separate dynamic tests are conducted to simulate two different accident scenarios: one in which the forces are predominantly in the vertical downward direction and one in which the forces are predominantly in the longitudinal forward direction. The highest load factor is in the forward direction at a force of 16g. Head injury protection. Where head contact with seats or other structure can occur, boeing provides protection so that the head impact does not exceed the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) established by the u.S. Federal aviation administration (FAA). HIC measures the likelihood of head injury resulting from an impact. compliance with the Hic limit is demonstrated during a dynamic sled test that includes a 50 percent male size test dummy, the seat, and any airplane structure that could be impacted by the occupant’s head. 

Surviving a fire

Floor proximity lighting under dark conditions

In 1985, the FAA developed a new test standard for large surface area panels, such as ceilings, walls, overhead bins, and partitions. The standard required that all commercial airplanes produced after august 20, 1988, utilize panels that exhibit reduced heat and smoke emissions, delaying the onset of a flashover (i.e., the simultaneous or near simultaneous ignition of all flammable material in an enclosed area). interiors are updated and refurbished many times during the life of an airplane. This results in interiors that incorporate these enhancements even in older airplanes. in addition, airplanes manufactured on or after august 20, 1990, must comply with definitive standards of a maximum peak heat release rate of 65 kilowatts per square meter, a maximum total heat release of 65 kilowatt minutes per square meter, and specific optical smoke density of 200 (i.e., the OSu 65/65/200 fire safety standard defined by Ohio State university). extensive fire protection systems are also part of every Boeing passenger airplane. These systems include the use of fire protective materials, smoke detection and fire extinguishing systems, and insulation blankets designed to resist burn through from a fuel fire next to the bottom half of the fuselage. 

Evacuating the Airplane

Floor proximity lighting under smoky conditions

The FAA requires that an airplane can be evacuated of all passengers in 90 seconds. Boeing airplane interiors include a number of features to facilitate this process. These features include floor proximity lighting and escape slides. Floor proximity lighting. When passengers evacuate after a crash, buoyant hot smoke and gases can fill the cabin down to near floor level, obscuring overhead lighting. evacuation is improved through the use of lights, reflectors, or other devices to mark the emergency escape path along the floor. The Faa determined that floor lighting could improve the evacuation rate by 20 percent under certain conditions. as a result, the U.S. commercial fleet was retrofitted with floor proximity lighting by 1986, marking the completion of a two year compliance schedule. The 777 was the first Boeing airplane to include floor proximity lighting in production models.