AVIATION SAFETY

By Umar Sharif

CONTENTS PAGE
Pages 3 7: Fire Protection
Pages 8 - 13 : Aircraft Pressurisation
Pages 14 17: Emergency Evacuation & Seating
Pages 18 22: Fuel Tanks
Pages 23 27: Flight Management Computer & Components
Page 28: Bibliography
Page 29: Tips & Useful Resources

FIRE PROTECTION- INTRODUCTION

In this topic we will be covering some of the devices and safety components
which help make a aircraft safe from fires but also systems which are used in
the even of a fire such as:
Automatic fire extinguishers
Two shot systems
Fire Wire and Overheat detection wire
Cargo Bay Fire Protection

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER

A example of a automatic fire extinguisher is the fire extinguisher in

the toilet waste bin. The reason for a fire extinguisher being there is
in case some one smokes or puts something that may cause a fire in
to a toilet waste bin.
If there is something in the waste bin which may cause a fire the
fusible tip will break allowing the fire extinguisher to release its
content which should extinguish the fire. However the crew are still
notified of the fire and will attend with a fire extinguisher to be sure
that the fire has been put out completely.
On the right is a picture of a fire extinguisher from a Boeing 777

TWO SHOT SYSTEM

The two shot system is a system which allows the crew to have two
chances to extinguish a fire. The system is very simple and
depending on the aircraft may either have a rotating knob or
handle which allows the crew to use it. For example if it is a knob
the crew would rotate it either clockwise or anti-clockwise first this
will release the first shot of extinguisher if this fails to put out the fire
the crew would then rotate the switch in the other direction to allow
the second shot hence the name two shot system.
Depending on what aircraft you mostly have a two shot system on
each engine but on some aircraft you may find both engines
sharing the same two shot system so if the crew uses both shots on
one engine and the other engine sets on fire they will not have any
shots left.

FIRE WIRE AND OVERHEAT

DETECTION WIRE
Fire wire and overheat detection wire are the same type of wire
both are filled with a chemical and when the resistance of the wire
changes due to heat the alarm will trigger.
The two loop fire wire system is a simple system in which where ever
there is one fire wire another is ran parcel to it this is to ensure that
the crew are not given a false alarm due to a faulty wire. If only one
wire has a change in resistance the crew will receive a amber light
in the flight deck but if both wires have a change a red light and a
alarm will sound on the flight deck.

CARGO BAY FIRE PROTECTION

The cargo bay of a aircraft is one of the more likely areas of there
being a fire due to the things people may put in there luggage. All
cargo bays have fire detection systems these work in the way
where a source will emit light then when the light is reflected on to
the photo electronic cell if there is a fire the fumes will have
disturbed the light and the reflectors will pick it up if all the light is
reflected clearly on to the photo electronic cell there will be no
alert.
In the case of there being a disturbance to the light due to the
fumes a alarm and light will sound in the flight panel to notify the
crew of the issue.

AIRCRAFT PRESSURISATION
Aircrafts are pressurised to provide passengers and crew with air to breathe
when at high altitudes due to the air being a lot thinner higher up in the
atmosphere we would struggle to breathe. In the next few pages we will be
covering how an aircrafts pressurisation system works. Some of the topics we
will cover are:
Environmental Control System
Engineering Panel
Distribution System
Human Ear
Depressurisation

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
SYSTEM
The environmental control system works in the way when the air
comes in to the system some of it goes in to the heat exchanger
and some bypasses to the cabin temp control valve. They are two
heat exchangers both located on in a ram air exhaust inlet the air is
passed through the heat exchanger the second heat exchanger is
only used if the air is to hot the air then goes to the air cycle
machine which is capable of cooling the air to 2 degrees Celsius it
then goes to a water separator which removes moisture from the air
the air is then passed on to the mixing chamber.

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ENGINEERING PANEL
The engineering panel allows us to see the temperature of the
ducts and the zones of the aircraft. An aircraft is usually divided into
four zones. The duct an zone sensors then provide feedback to the
control unit which then adjusts the temperature VIA the
conditioned air manifold and the trim air to get the temperature
required.

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DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
This system mixes the air and releases it in to the fuselage this is done
by two duct pipes which both run alongside the fuselage to the top
where the recycled air is mixed with conditioned air in the zone
distribution manifold which releases the air in to the fuselage the air
then travels to floor which has floor vents or dado grills the air is then
either recirculated into the system or released through the freight
hold VIA pressurisation outflow valves.

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HUMAN EAR
The human ear is a sensitive and vital part of the human body to
allow us to hear. It can be damaged very easily and can also be
affected by sudden pressure change which is why aircrafts take off
quicker then they land this is to ensure minimal or no damage is
done to the ear.
When taking off an aircraft can cover 600 F.P.M but when landing
the figure is halved to 300 F.P.M to ensure no damage is done.

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DEPRESSURISATION
Aircrafts are pressurised to a great extent and if they are not
depressurised when they have landed and someone opens the
door it will blow open and may cause damage therefore on the
landing gear there are sensors which tell the aircraft if it is on the
ground the aircraft then depressurises itself and the doors can be
open.
This is due to the pressure difference of the aircraft to the pressure
outside it is also known as differential pressure.
On the right is a picture of a aircraft which decompressed suddenly.

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EMERGENCY EVACUATION &

SEATING
In this topic we will cover how to evacuate a aircraft in an emergency and
the harness aircrafts have and who for. The following subjects will be covered
in this section:
Emergency Slide
Crew Harness
Passenger Harness

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EMERGENCY SLIDE
A emergency slide also known as a evacuation slide is a
requirement for all commercial aircrafts if the door height is 1.8M or
6 Feet above ground level the purpose of the slide is to allow quick
and safe evacuation in a emergency. The slide is inflated with air
when it is needed the FAA state that the aircraft has to be
completely evacuated within 90 seconds and by only using 50% of
available exits so a slide needs to deploy and inflate within 10
seconds. On B747 a slide can be deployed and inflated within 5 7
seconds depending on the conditions (temperature and wind).

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CREW HARNESS
The flight crew have a 5 point harness to ensure that they are held
in during a emergency or any problems during flight the flight crew
also have electrically moving chairs to allow easy access to the
chair and also have a guide on where to position your chair for the
best view of surroundings.
The cabin crew how ever have a 4 point harness and a folding
chair this is to save space and allow room to move in the aircraft it is
usually located near a emergency exit.

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PASSENGER HARNESS
The passengers harness is just a single belt which runs along the
waist of the passengers the reason for there being such a basic belt
for passengers is due to weight as if all passengers had 4 point belts
this would dramatically increase the weight of the aircraft.
Before flight passengers are shown how to brace and prepare
themselves in a emergency to ensure there safety different airliners
have different videos. The cabin crew will also assist passengers in
emergency and instruct passengers on what to do.

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FUEL TANKS
In this topic we will be covering the different type of fuel tanks and the perks
the system has. The following subjects will be covered
Integral Fuel Tank
Flexible Fuel Tanks or Cells
Pilots Fuel Management Panel
Vent Flow Valve
Cross feed & Refuel System

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INTEGRAL FUEL TANKS

Integral fuel tanks are designed to be part and support the structure
of the aircraft they are then sealed in to hold fuel. Due to them
being part of the structure they can never be removed for
inspection or repairs of even for servicing the tank.
Therefore panels have to be provided to allow inspection or repairs
to these fuel tanks.
Most fixed wing aircrafts usually store the fuel in the wings and some
long haul aircraft may even store fuel in the belly and tail plane.

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FLEXIBLE FUEL TANKS OR CELLS

Flexible fuel tanks are also known as fuel cells they are usually
reinforced rubberized bags and are installed in the structure to
accommodate for the weight of the fuel.
These types of fuel tanks are usually used in fighter jets. However
through use of these tanks the material may crack.

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PILOTS FUEL MANAGEMENT PANEL

The pilots fuel management panel allows the pilot to see the level of
the fuel and if the boost pumps are functioning correctly it also
allows the pilot to cross feed the fuel which we will cover on the
next page. The panel also shows if there is any fault with the engine
and allows to shut the engines off.

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CROSS FEED & REFUEL SYSTEM

Aircraft tanks are not able to transfer fuel during flight but if one
tank is overloaded and the other running low the pilot can allow
the system to cross feed what this means is that engine one can
accept fuel from engine 2s tank but the fuel cannot shift tanks
during flight.
The refuel system is simple for example on the ground if the aircraft
has had 100 litres in one tank 120 litres in the other and the pilot
wants to level it out to 110 litres in each simply the pilot just has to
set the under loaded tank to refuel set the amount and then either
by him self or by a colleague switch on the boost pumps the fuel will
then transfer and level out.

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FLIGHT MANAGEMENT COMPUTER

AND COMPONENTS
In this topic we will summarize what the flight management computer is and
what components it uses to function. Below are some of the components we
will discuss:
Flight Management Computer
Navigation Database
Flight Plan
Position Determination

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FLIGHT MANAGEMENT COMPUTER

The flight management computer also known as the (FMS) is a very
important system in airliners avionics it is a computer that
completes many of the tasks of the flight crew easing off the
workload on the flight crew it covers various tasks. One of the
primary tasks of the FMS is to manage the flight plan it is able to do
this by using various sensors such as GPS or IRS which is often
backed up by radio navigation.
The FMS is controlled by a control display unit which is a small
screen with a keyboard or touch screen.

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NAVIGATION DATABASE
All FMS contain a navigation database (NDB) this database consists
of various elements from which thee flight path is produced. The
database is usually updated every 28 days in order to make sure it is
up to date and all elements are and contents are current.
Some of the contents a NDB consists of are:
Waypoints/Intersections
Airways
Airports
Runways
Holding Patterns

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FLIGHT PLAN
The flight plan is usually calculated on the ground by either the pilot
or professional dispatcher. It is entered by using the control display
unit by either typing it in or by using a saved library of flight plans.
Before flight other data is inputted into the FMS such as gross
weight, fuel weight and centre of gravity.
Then the pilot may adjust the flight plan for varied reasons VIA the
FMS. The flight plan generally appears as a line with other airports
and waypoints displayed.

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POSITION DETERMINATION
Once the aircraft is in flight the FMS has a task of to calculate where
the aircraft is and the accuracy of the position. Depending on the
FMS of the aircraft old simple FMS only use one sensor which is GPS
more modern FMS use more sensors in fact as many as possible
these may consist of GPS, IRSs, VORs and more.
The FMS continually cross checks with various sensors to determine a
single position and accuracy of the aircraft.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evacuation_slide#Inflation_systems
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/2011_q4/4/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_tank
Class handouts and notes.
Please note I do not own any pictures and do not mean to breach any
copyrights.

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TIPS & USEFUL RESOURCE

Tips to help pass assignments are to revise what you learnt every day before
going to sleep also to sketch all drawing and look over them every night and
on the morning of your assignment.
The most useful resource are your class notes followed by your class handouts
so ensure you take down as many notes as possible also avoid using the
internet to revise as most sites are made by someone and the information may be
incorrect or irrelevant.
Finally best of luck with all assignments and I hope this book has served its purpose of
helping you pass your assignments.