Elevated Waterway and Cabin Skin Penetration Technology The FAA conducted a research program to determine the effectiveness of using elevated waterway devices in conjunction with an aircraft cabin skin penetration system. To date, it has been easy to penetrate many different models of existing commercial aircraft designs by using a boom-mounted cabin skin penetration system. A demonstration program validated the effectiveness of injecting a fine mist spray into the burning interior of a Boeing Model 707 aircraft. During the demonstration, the intense fire was taken to severe flashover conditions and then brought back under control in two minutes with approximately five hundred gallons of injected water. Fire suppression techniques are currently being validated to determine the most effective application of fire extinguishing agents to use for post-crash pool fires. The best application appears to be an attacking technique which deploys a boom at a low angle to sweep across a selected pool fire area, then raising it to a high-angle position for broader fire areas. This change can usually be accomplished without moving the rescue vehicle very far from its initial attack setup point. Another benefit of the low-angle application is the increased visibility provided by getting the agent low and away from the vehicle. A typical roof turret agent application will result in a restricted view, with the agent running down the vehicles windshield. The following photographs illustrate the reach and fire fighting tactics that are being explored in this program. To date, many different models of the existing commercial aircraft designs have been easily penetrated with the boom-mounted cabin skin penetration system. Below are the links to sub articles on Aircraft Fire Safety: Airport Rescue and Firefighting Research Program Elevated Waterway and Cabin Skin Penetration Technology Back to Main Aircraft Fire Safety Article

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