Safety Topics

EFFORTS have been and are currently being made to improve the survivability of passengers where the decelerations experienced should not result in injuries which prevent escape from the cabin. All too often, inhalation of toxic fumes has been the cause of fatalities and measures recently incorporated are aimed to try and ensure that such a situation is most unlikely to arise. This is particularly relevant in the wake of the 1985 Manchester accident and the full report which is to be published soon, is expected to contain a considerable amount of information and further recommendations. Meanwhile it is worth looking at the full details available of the DC‐9 inflight fire which caused the aircraft to make an emergency landing at Cincinnati Airport, in so far as this concerns the conditions in the cabin and the survival and evacuation aspects.