Thu, Oct 07, 2004
Rules Poor Response In 1996 Fire Cost A Dozen Lives
Far from helping protect passengers and flight crews in the
event of an emergency, the FAA's rules governing on-airport
firefighters and their equipment are inadequate and, in at least
one case, led to the deaths of 12 people aboard a flight that
caught fire while on the ground.
That's the word in an email from the Airport Rescue and
Firefighting Requirements Working Group, obtained by a reporter
with USA Today. The panel was set to make its findings public on
Wednesday. The group, created by the FAA and comprised of
firefighters, airport executives and union leaders, was originally
tasked with making recommendations for improving firefighting on
the field. Their findings carry no legal weight, according to USA
Today, but they do have the collective ear of the FAA.
Firefighting safety and effectiveness have long been scrutinized
in NTSB accident reports. In 1996, the safety board cited poor fire
response as a factor in a fire aboard a United Express aircraft in
Quincy (IL) that killed 12 people. Three years later, the NTSB also
found deficiencies in the firefighter response to an accident
involving an American Airlines MD-82 that landed extremely hard in
a thunderstorm.
Among the recommendations reportedly to be announced Wednesday
by the Airport Rescue and Firefighting Requirements Working Group
were:
Stricter regulations on the number of airport fire trucks and
the amount of foam they carry
Amending firefighters' missions to include actually rescuing
passengers from a burning aircraft. Right now, the rules say
firefighters must merely clear a path for evacuating
passengers.
Requiring airports to conduct studies on the number of
firefighters actually needed on the field.
More News
Maximum Authorized Altitude A published altitude representing the maximum usable altitude or flight level for an airspace structure or route segment. It is the highest altitude on >[...]
Aero Linx: Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF) The Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF) is the Training and Safety arm of the Soaring Society of America (SSA). Our mission is to provide ins>[...]
From 2013 (YouTube Version): Dracula Lives On Through Kyle Franklin... and We're NOT Scared! ANN CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Jim Campbell speaks with Aerobatic and airshow master, Kyl>[...]
“For Montaer Aircraft it is a very prudent move to incorporate such reliable institution as Ocala Aviation, with the background of decades in training experience and aviation>[...]
Also: ForeFlight Upgrades, Cicare USA, Vittorazi Engines, EarthX We have a number of late-breaking news highlights from the 2024 Innovation Preview... which was PACKED with real ne>[...]