Composite Materials in Aircraft Mishaps Involving Fire

Download or read book Composite Materials in Aircraft Mishaps Involving Fire written by Mark T. Wright and published by . This book was released on 2003-06-01 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Navy aircraft are involved in crash incidents, firefighters must be aware of hazards presented by airframe composite-material construction. Composite matrices may be combustible, contributing to the aircraft fuel load and burning hazard. Additionally, fibers released from burning composites may present a respiration hazard to firefighters. Current Navy and military doctrine recognize these hazards; cautionary guidance is provided for composite materials reinforced with carbon/graphite fibers and boron/tungsten fibers. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), which provides technical guidance for aircraft fire safety, was concerned that hazards presented by new composite materials and greater quantities of composites may not be adequately addressed in current firefighting and guidance. The objective of this project was to perform a literature search to identify any existing "gaps in knowledge" concerning the role of composite materials in a fire mishap involving an aircraft having composite construction materials. With these "gaps" identified, future actions can be identified, prioritized, and performed.