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Overall Aircraft Cabin Air Quality

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An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will conduct a study examining the potential impacts of fume or smoke events on air quality in passenger aircraft cabins. The committee will examine information about the air contaminants present in passenger aircraft cabins during smoke and fume events, and the health impacts and risks to flight crews and passengers. They will also consider data on the incidence, frequency, duration, and likely causes of smoke and fume events.

Description

An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will examine the air quality and any risk of persistent and accidental fume or smoke events in the cabin of passenger aircraft operated under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

Specifically, the committee will examine:

  • the Federal Aviation Administration report on the feasibility, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of certification and installation of systems to evaluate bleed air quality, as required in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018;
  • information about the incidence of fume and smoke events (both regularly and irregularly occurring), and whether such events are more frequent during different phases of operations such as ground operations, taxiing, take off, cruise, and landing;
  • the frequencies, durations, and likely causes of the events;
  • the air contaminants present during smoke and fume events;
  • the health impacts and risks of fume or smoke events on flight crews, including flight attendants and pilots, and passengers.

Additional Information

Contributors

Committee

Chair

Member

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NAM Fellow

Staff Officer

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Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Unavoidable Conflict of Interest for Michael Delaney
The conflict of interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee authoring a Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed. An exception to this prohibition is permitted if the National Academies determines that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is publicly disclosed. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.
Michael Delaney has a conflict of interest in relation to service on the Committee on Overall Cabin Air Quality based on stock and retirement benefits related to his former employment with Boeing.
The National Academies has concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include at least one person who has substantial recent experience working for a major airline manufacturer focusing on strengthening safety culture and aviation safety strategy. As described in his biographical summary, Mr. Delaney is an aerospace engineer with extensive experience most recently at Boeing in the design of aircraft and aircraft safety systems.
The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of Mr. Delaney is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who does not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable. Unavoidable Conflict of Interest for Eric Ducharme
The conflict of interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee authoring a Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed. An exception to this prohibition is permitted if the National Academies determines that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is publicly disclosed. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.
Eric Ducharme has a potential conflict of interest in relation to service on the Committee on Overall Cabin Air Quality based on stock and retirement benefits related to his former employment with GE Aerospace.
The National Academies has concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include at least one person who has substantial recent experience working for a manufacturer of aircraft air quality focusing on the development, design, and engineering of aircraft systems related to cabin air quality. As described in his biographical summary, Dr. Ducharme has extensive experience at GE Aerospace, where he was responsible for product & flight safety, airworthiness & certification, and has extensive experience related to the design, development and certification processes of aircraft engine systems, including those related to engine bleed air for the pressurization the aircraft cabin.
The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of Dr. Ducharme is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who does not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable.

The National Academies believes that Mr. Delaney and Dr. Ducharme can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.

Sponsors

Department of Transportation

Staff

Kate Guyton

Lead

Autumn Downey

Melissa Welch-Ross

Thomasina Lyles

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