Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) personnel require a great deal of information to make informed tactical decisions during aircraft fire incidents. Planning for such incidents saves precious time in the deployment of firefighting assets and personnel. New Large Aircraft (NLA) have increased the challenges and stakes to aircraft rescue firefighters by introducing increased passenger capacities, fuel loads, and hydraulic pressures, and by using advanced composite materials. The most significant change was the introduction of the full-length, upper-passenger deck on the Airbus A380 with certification for up to 853 total passengers.
ATR examined NLA firefighting strategies and reviewed safety topics such as aircraft evacuation, agent quantity, aircraft systems and components. ATR also reviewed case studies of previous incidents involving multilevel aircraft and applied accepted interior firefighting models to the unique NLA configurations. This research led to the development of best practices and guidance for NLA emergency planning and firefighting strategies.
Learn more: Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Strategies and Tactical Considerations for New Large Aircraft. The A350, B-777, B-787, A380, and B-747-8 are discussed in this report. Many of the firefighting tactics and strategies outlined apply to any aircraft.
