NTL Record

Title Emergency cabin lighting installations : an analysis of ceiling- vs lower cabin-mounted lighting during evacuation trials.
Record ID 39401
Personal Name
Creator
Chesterfield, Burton P.; Rasmussen, Paul G.; Dillon, Robert D.
Corporate Creator Civil Aeromedical Institute
Corporate
Contributor
United States. Office of Aviation Medicine
Publisher Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Publication Date 19810200
Language English
Abstract Six series of human subject evacuation tests were conducted to compare the evacuation rates with two different emergency lighting systems in an aircraft cabin filled with nontoxic white smoke. Cabin emergency lighting and exit signs mounted near the ceiling were almost completely obscured by smoke, which layered most heavily in the upper one-half of the cabin. A comparison lighting system mounted below layered smoke in aisle seat armrests, with exit signs mounted at and below the cabin midpoint, provided light directly in the aisle and cross aisle. Results indicated that lights and signs mounted lower in the cabin were more readily visible in smoke and enabled subjects to evacuate from a smoke-filled cabin more rapidly than conventional ceiling-mounted lights and signs.
Rosap ID dot:21187
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/21187
TRT Terms Air transportation crashes; Fire; Smoke; Evacuation; Emergency exits; Vision; Postcrash phase; Aircraft cabins; Lighting; Human subject testing
General Subjects Airplanes--Evacuation--Human factors--Testing; Aircraft accidents; Smoke; Aircraft cabins; Emergency lighting
Classification NTL - AVIATION - Aviation Safety/Airworthiness;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Accidents;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Aviation Safety/Airworthiness
Geographical
Coverage
United States
Report Number FAA-AM-81-7; DOT/FAA/AM-81/7
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/39000/39400/39401/AM81-07.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository