Evaluation and Mitigation of Aircraft Slide Evacuation Injuries (2008)

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TRANSPORTAT ION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2008 www.TRB.org A I R P O R T C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M ACRP REPORT 2 Research sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration Subject Areas Aviation Evaluation and Mitigation of Aircraft Slide Evacuation Injuries Vahid Motevalli Layla Monajemi Maryline Rassi AVIATION INSTITUTE THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Ashburn, VA

AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in trans- portation of people and goods and in regional, national, and inter- national commerce. They are where the nation’s aviation system connects with other modes of transportation and where federal respon- sibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most airports. Research is necessary to solve common operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the airport industry. The Airport Coopera- tive Research Program (ACRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the airport industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. The need for ACRP was identified in TRB Special Report 272: Airport Research Needs: Cooperative Solutions in 2003, based on a study spon- sored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The ACRP carries out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating agencies and are not being adequately addressed by existing federal research programs. It is modeled after the successful National Coopera- tive Highway Research Program and Transit Cooperative Research Pro- gram. The ACRP undertakes research and other technical activities in a variety of airport subject areas, including design, construction, mainte- nance, operations, safety, security, policy, planning, human resources, and administration. The ACRP provides a forum where airport opera- tors can cooperatively address common operational problems. The ACRP was authorized in December 2003 as part of the Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The primary partici- pants in the ACRP are (1) an independent governing board, the ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC), appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation with representation from airport oper- ating agencies, other stakeholders, and relevant industry organizations such as the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), and the Air Transport Association (ATA) as vital links to the airport community; (2) the TRB as program manager and secretariat for the governing board; and (3) the FAA as program sponsor. In October 2005, the FAA executed a contract with the National Academies formally initiating the program. The ACRP benefits from the cooperation and participation of airport professionals, air carriers, shippers, state and local government officials, equipment and service suppliers, other airport users, and research orga- nizations. Each of these participants has different interests and respon- sibilities, and each is an integral part of this cooperative research effort. Research problem statements for the ACRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to the TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the AOC to formulate the research program by iden- tifying the highest priority projects and defining funding levels and expected products. Once selected, each ACRP project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed by the TRB. Panels include experienced practitioners and research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including airport pro- fessionals, the intended users of the research products. The panels pre- pare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooper- ative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, ACRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation. Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating ACRP results to the intended end-users of the research: airport operating agencies, service providers, and suppliers. The ACRP produces a series of research reports for use by airport operators, local agencies, the FAA, and other interested parties, and industry associations may arrange for work- shops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by airport-industry practitioners. ACRP REPORT 2 Project 11-02/Task 3 ISSN 1935-9802 ISBN: 978-0-309-09933-2 Library of Congress Control Number 2008903268 © 2008 Transportation Research Board COPYRIGHT PERMISSION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB or FAA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Airport Cooperative Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or the Federal Aviation Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, and the Federal Aviation Administration (sponsor of the Airport Cooperative Research Program) do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting. Published reports of the AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America

CRP STAFF FOR ACRP REPORT 2 Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs Christine L. Gerencher, Senior Program Officer Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Ellen M. Chafee, Assistant Editor ACRP PROJECT 11-02/TASK 3 PANEL Field of Special Projects Alan Black, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, TX John O’Donnell, Air Cruisers Company, Belmar, NJ Jim Patterson, Federal Aviation Administration, Atlantic City, NJ Dana Pitts, Dulles International Airport, Dulles, VA Mont Smith, Air Transport Association, Washington, DC AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under ACRP Project 11-02/Task 3 by the Aviation Institute at The George Washington University (GW). The Aviation Institute at GW was the contractor for this study. Dr. Vahid Motevalli, P.E., Associate Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, was the Principal Investigator. The other authors of this report are Layla Monajemi and Maryline Rassi, both graduate research assistants at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The authors would like to acknowl- edge the help of the informal panel working with TRB on this project, particularly Mr. Mont Smith, Direc- tor of Safety at the Air Transport Association (ATA), and Mr. Alan Black, Vice President of Public Safety, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. In addition, we would like to acknowledge Ms. Noboyo Sakata of ATA and Mr. Christian Salmon, doctoral student at the Aviation Institute, for their help with this project. C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S

ACRP Report 2: Evaluation and Mitigation of Aircraft Slide Evacuation Injuries provides guidance on reducing injuries and improving safety and coordination during aircraft slide evacuation events. This report examines available data regarding commercial aircraft slide deployments with particular focus on injuries to aircraft crew and passengers incurred dur- ing aircraft slide evacuations. As a result of encountering gaps in the data on commercial aircraft slide deployments, this report also encourages more consistent reporting of injuries incurred in commercial aircraft slide deployments. A better understanding of the types and potential causes of aircraft slide evacuation injuries will help airport first responders, such as Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting personnel, and airport and aircraft operators to better prepare for commercial aircraft slide deployments and possibly prevent some injuries from happening. Aircraft operating in accordance with Title 14, Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR), Part 121, of the Code of Federal Regulations are required, under §121.310, to provide a means for emergency evacuation that meets certain requirements. In order to meet these require- ments, manufacturers developed a system incorporating inflatable slides at multiple points of entry and exit in the aircraft. As the requirement implies, the use of these slides is intended for situations in which quick egress is needed, and the aircraft crew and passengers are unable to exit through normal means (e.g., via jetbridge or stairs). When an emergency sit- uation arises at an airport involving an aircraft evacuation via inflatable slides, the airport’s Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) department is typically the first to respond to the incident and provide assistance to the aircraft crew in evacuating the passengers. Emergency situations provide unique challenges that the aircraft crew, ARFF, and other airport personnel must address in order to provide the most expedient evacuation of the aircraft in the safest possible way. In these evacuation situations, injuries to passengers can occur. In this research, numerous records of previous aircraft slide evacuation events were examined to gain a better understanding of the rate of injury in these events and the types of injuries that have occurred. Data associated with the introduction of the newest genera- tion of large commercial aircraft were also examined to better understand the potential impact of higher evacuee speeds during a slide evacuation. ACRP Report 2 concludes with a presentation of issues identified through a survey of ARFF personnel throughout the country—issues that should be taken into account when preparing for and responding to an aircraft slide evacuation event. Guidance on improving coordination of the response to slide evacuation events to further minimize the risk of evac- uation injuries is also provided. F O R E W O R D By Christine L. Gerencher Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

C O N T E N T S 1 Summary 3 Chapter 1 Background 3 Motivation 3 Scope of Study for Slide Evacuation Events 3 Definitions and Categories of Evacuation 4 Literature Survey 6 Chapter 2 Research Approach 6 Databases 6 Challenges with the Accuracy of the Data 7 Surveys 8 Chapter 3 Findings and Applications 9 Categorizing Injuries 10 Large Aircraft Evacuation 16 Effect of Wind on Stability of Inflatable Evacuation Slides 18 Chapter 4 Conclusions and Recommendations 19 Issues 20 Recommendations 21 References 22 Appendix A Airline Survey on Emergency Evacuation Events 26 Appendix B ARFF Units Survey on Emergency Evacuation Events 29 Appendix C List of ARFF’s Issues and Recommendations 33 Appendix D List of Collected Emergency Evacuation Events Involving Slides 45 Appendix E Documented Injuries During 142 Emergency Slide Evacuation Events in the Period of January 1, 1996, to June 30, 2006 53 Appendix F Study on Emergency Evacuation Challenges on Large Transport Aircraft