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AircraftLoadingWalkwaysLiteratureandInformationReview

ExecutiveSummary

Lastupdated:May2014

Thereareseveralmanufacturersthatbuildaircraftglassloadingwalkways,whicharecurrently

permittedincountriesthathavenotadoptedNationalFireProtectionAssociation(NFPA)standards.The

TechnicalCommitteeforNFPA415,StandardonAirportTerminalBuildings,FuelingRampDrainage,and

Loading

Walkwaysdesiredmoreinformationabouttheglobalexperienceofusingglassloading

walkways,includingfireresistanceoftheloadingwalkways,firetestmethods,useof

alternate/additionalescape

routes

from

the

plane,

passenger

behavior

during

actual

emergency

incidents,andpsychology/sociologyofoccupantsthatmightegressthroughaglassloadingwalkway

withalargefireoutside/below.

TheFireProtectionResearchFoundation(FPRF)respondedtotheNFPA415committeerequestby

sponsoringaprojecttoinvestigatethemanyfactorsassociatedwithglassloadingwalkways.This

involvedaliteraturesearch/informationgatheringprojectperformedbyastudentintern.Thisintern

wasmentoredbyaseniorengineerfamiliarwithaviationsafetyandfireprotection.Atechnicalpanel,

comprisedofprofessionalsinthefieldofaviationsafetyandfireprotection,wasformedtoprovide

inputaswellasreviewtheresults.

Currently,NFPA415Section6.1.2requireswalkwaystobefireresistant,asdemonstratedbyafire

exposuretestspecifiedinSection6.4. Analternativetoafireresistiveenclosureistheinstallationofanautomaticallyoperateddelugewatersprayorfoamfiresuppressionsystem. Forallwalkways,there

maybenotransparentortranslucentwalls,windows,orsurfacesotherthanthosewindowslocatedin

therampaccessdoorandinthecabarea,forthepurposeofoperatingtheaircraftloadingwalkway.

Thesenseofthecommitteetodate,asreflectedbythecurrentrequirements,isthat:

1) Asafeegresspathmustbeavailableattheterminalgateintheeventofafuelspillfire;

2)

Afireresistiveloadingwalkway(orwalkwaywiththeareaprotectedbyanautomatic

suppressionsystem)istheappropriatemeanstoprovidethenecessarysafeexit;and,

3)

Passengerswill

be

afraid

or

reluctant

to

exit

through

apath

where

they

can

see

afire

(even

thoughitmayprovideprotectionagainstheatandsmoke). Therefore,glassshouldbe

prohibitedasaprimarywalkwayconstructionmaterial.

Theobjectiveofthisresearchwastogatherpertinentinformationandprovideinsightonthefiresafety

aspectsofglassloadingwalkways.Theoverallobjectiveisthesafeevacuationofpassengersandcrew

fromafireengulfinganaircraftatornearanairportterminal.Theinformationfromthisprojectis

intendedtoprovideguidancetotheNFPA415TechnicalCommitteeontheuseofglassloading

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walkwaysandmaybeusedasthetechnicalbasisforthecontinuedprohibitionorfutureinclusionof

glassloadingwalkwaysinthestandard.Ultimately,theinformationwasgatheredtosupportordisprove

thefollowingnullhypothesis:Currentrequirementswhichrestricttheuseofglassinconstructing

aircraftloadingwalkwaysdonotsignificantlyimpacttheprobabilityofsafeevacuationfromtheaircraft.

Aircraftandairportoperationsareconsidered,alongwiththeimpactofbuildingandfirecodes

applicabletoairports.

Thescopeofthisprojectprovidesinformationdirectlyrelatedtotheconstructionofbothtraditional

andglassloadingwalkways,areviewoffirehistory,adiscussionoftheloadingwalkwayasameansof

egress,andthepsychologicalimpactsoccupantsmayexperiencewhileusingtheloadingwalkwayasa

meansofegressduringafireevent. Aliteraturesearchofrelevantinformationthataddressesthese

topicswasperformed.

Thefollowingfindingsweretheresultofthisproject:

1) TheNFPA415committeeisconcernedthatemergencyevacuationwillbeimpededif

exitingpassengerscanseeafire,ifglassisusedinaloadingwalkway.

2)

Aperformance

based

approach

can

be

applied

to

this

situation.

The

current

NFPA

415

providesmuchofthebasisforthisperformance(5minutefireresistance).Themissing

informationisthereactionofpassengerstovisiblefirewhenevacuatinganaircraft.

3)

IncurrentNFPA415firetestrequirements,thefirethreattowallassembliesisnon

conservative,andtherearenocriteriaforexplicitlylimitingsmokeobscuration.

4) Glassloadingwalkwaysarewidelyavailableandusedthroughouttheworld.Theycanbe

designedtomeettheNFPA415firetestrequirements.

5) Firelosseventsofaircraftatornearthegatewereidentified.Exceptwherefire/smoke

haspenetratedthefuselage,alloccupantsinidentifiedincidentsinvolvingaircraftator

nearthegatehavesuccessfullyevacuatedtheaircraft,usingtheprimarywalkwayor

secondaryexits

(overwing

or

slide

exits).

6) ThereisnoUSbuilding/firecode,FAA,orotherregulatoryprovisiontorequirefire

resistiveloadingwalkwaysinaccordancewithNFPA415. Itisbelievedthatmostenclosed

walkwaysintheUScomplywithNFPA415.

7)

Someoperatorsintentionallydischargepassengersdirectlytotherampareavia

unprotectedstairs/walkways.Thereisnoregulatoryprohibitionforthis.Thefireresistive

integrityofwalkwaysareroutinelycompromisedbyairportoperations.Thereisno

consistencyinthelevelofprotectionprovidedtoaircraftpassengersboardingor

deplaninganaircraft.

8)

Aminimumofoneexitpathway,staffedbyatrainedflightattendant,mustbeavailable

anytime

passengers

are

on

board

an

aircraft.

Should

the

loading

walkway

be

blocked,

secondaryexitsareavailablethroughoverwingdoorexits(passengeroperated)orfloor

levelexits(requiringflightattendantassistancetorearmtheevacuationslide).

9)

TheFAArequiresflightattendant/crewtrainingforemergencyevacuationsituations.

Crewresponse,instructions,andassertivenessisimportant.

10) TimelyARFFresponseisanimportantelementtopassengersafetyforaircraftparkedat

thegate.

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11) Occupantevacuationbehaviordiffersdependingontheperceivedthreat:

a. Wherethereisnofireorthethreathasnotpenetratedtheenclosure,passengers

wereabletoevacuate.Theyfollowedcrewdirections,orusedapaththeyperceived

asbetter.Thisisthecaseevenwherefireisplainlyvisible.

b. Wherefire/smokehaspenetratedthefuselage,passengerstendtobe

insubordinateto

crew

instructions.

Selfpreservation

may

apply,

even

if

it

conflicts

withcrewevacuationinstructions.

Thesefindings,derivedalmostentirelyfrompassengerbehaviorwithinparkedaircraft,

wouldappeartoapplyfortheglassloadingwalkwayelementoftheevacuationpath.

12) Theoverallfindingswouldseemtosupportthenullhypothesis:currentrequirements

whichrestricttheuseofglassinconstructingaircraftloadingwalkwaysdonotsignificantly

impacttheprobabilityofsafeevacuationfromtheaircraft.

AbouttheFireProtectionResearchFoundation

TheFireProtectionResearchFoundationplans,manages,andcommunicatesresearchonabroadrange

offiresafetyissuesincollaborationwithscientistsandlaboratoriesaroundtheworld.TheFoundationis

anaffiliateofNFPA.

AbouttheNationalFireProtectionAssociation(NFPA)

NFPA isaworldwide leader infire,electrical,building,and lifesafety.Themissionofthe international

nonprofitorganizationfoundedin1896istoreducetheworldwideburdenoffireandotherhazardson

thequalityof lifebyprovidingandadvocatingconsensuscodesandstandards,research, training,and

education.NFPAdevelopsmorethan300codesandstandardstominimizethepossibilityandeffectsof

fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost

atwww.nfpa.org/freeaccess.