Fire contributes to aircraft accidents and many fatalities. The growing use of polymer composite materials in aircraft has the potential to increase the fire hazard due to the flammable nature of the organic matrix. The polymer composite most often used in the external structures of aircraft is carbon/epoxy, which is a flammable material that easily ignites and burns when exposed to fire. A large percentage of the cabin interior of wide-bodied passenger aircraft is made using composite materials, mostly glass/phenolic. Phenolic composites have good flammability, but newer materials are being…

Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, working in collaboration with Virgin Blue Airlines in Australia, applied to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau for an aviation safety research grant in 2004. The grant was awarded to support a two-phase research project into evacuation commands used by cabin crew in managing passengers during evacuations. The first phase was a best practice forum and survey, supported by members of the Asia Pacific Cabin Safety Working Group of the Australian Society of Air Safety Investigators, to establish the commands, policies and procedures currently in use…

Many factors contribute to an airline's safety record, some external to the organisation and others internal.� An important internal contribution comes from the manner in which the company's flight operations are managed.� This study addresses the organisational factors impinging on an airline's safety outcome that are subject to influence by managers in their flight operations divisions.� Particular attention is given to evidence of the concept known as 'institutional resilience'. Twelve major airlines in Australasia and South East Asia participated in the study.� The study used a mixed…

This information paper seeks to provide people without an in-depth knowledge of the practice of 'Human Factors' a general plain English explanation of what Human Factors is, how it has evolved, and how it is applied to aircraft accident and incident safety investigations. The paper also gives a brief explanation of international agreements and Australian law as they apply to aircraft accident and incident investigations. Human Factors, which includes 'Ergonomics' as it is called in some industries, is the practice of applying scientific knowledge from varied, mostly human science disciplines…

Commercial aircraft involved in high altitude operations are generally pressurised to protect the occupants from the adverse effects of hypoxia, decompression illness and hypothermia. Failure of the pressurisation system is a potential threat to flight safety. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and consequences of aircraft decompression events in Australian civil aviation. The aim was to document the prevalence, nature, type, degree and extent of decompression events in Australian civil aviation, as well as the consequences of such events, especially hypoxia and…

Commercial air travel remains the safest mode of transport available in OECD countries. Commercial airlines in Australia do not require infants under the age of 24 months to occupy their own seats during flight. However, the children carried in the arms of adult passengers must be restrained during taxi, take-off, landing and turbulence. The aims of this project were to review the developments in safe transport of children in aircraft and to conduct a test program based on current Australian child restraint systems (CRS). This initial program was later extended to include the assessment of…

Drug and alcohol use in pilots can have a detrimental impact on aviation safety. Important cognitive and psychomotor functions necessary for safe operation of an aircraft can be significantly impaired by drugs and alcohol. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and nature of drug and alcohol-related accidents and incidents in Australian civil aviation. A search of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's accident and incident database was conducted for all occurrences in which drugs or alcohol were recorded between 1 January 1975 and 31 March 2006. There were 36 drug and…

Approximately 1.5 to 2 billion passengers fly on the world's civil aircraft each year. As the population ages, the number of air travellers increases and longer routes are flown by bigger aircraft, the number of medical events involving passengers is anticipated to increase. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, nature, type and extent of medical problems and injuries occurring in passengers on board civil registered aircraft. The aim, in particular, was to determine the most common in-flight medical problems in passengers, and what proportion of these events result in an…

This research paper examined the number and rate of fatal accidents in Australia, Queensland and Far North Queensland involving aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 11,000 kg or less between 1990 and 2005. The latest year available for exposure data (number of landings, flying hours) was 2004. The purpose of this paper was to examine fatal accidents in Queensland, and specifically Far North Queensland, and provide a context in which to view the results. However, the examination of fatal aircraft accidents from a regional or state perspective raised issues that limited the conclusions…

On the 20th May 1988 at approximately 1609 hours, a Cessna 172 collided with a Piper Tomahawk in the circuit area at Coolangatta, Queensland. The accident, in which four people died, occurred in conditions of good visibility. This collision and others which occurred in the late 1980s drew attention to the deficiencies of the see-and-avoid concept. The Coolangatta accident report stated that: 'As a result ofthis accident,the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation has undertaken to conduct an evaluation and prepare a report on the practicability of the see and be seen (see-and-avoid) principle in…