The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered that a device to keep the fuel tanks on some passenger and cargo planes must be installed over the next nine years. This ruling comes almost 12 years to the day TWA Flight 800 exploded over the Atlantic Ocean while taking off from New York’s Kennedy Airport. All 230 people aboard were killed.
According Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, this new safety requirement affects new cargo and passenger planes that have center fuel tanks, such as the Boeing 747. All existing Airbus and Boeing passenger jets will be required to retrofit the new device. This affects nearly 2,800 planes already in service. Cargo planes already in use are not affected by the ruling
The National Transportation Safety Board found that the cause of the explosion aboard Flight 800 was due to oxygen igniting in a partially empty fuel tank sitting for several hours in the sun before the plane took off. The proposed device will replace highly flammable oxygen with inert nitrogen as the fuel tanks empty.
The FAA originally proposed a rule to prevent future explosions three years ago, but was told the cost was too high by the aviation industry. The cost of installing the technology is estimated from $92,000 to $311,000 per aircraft. According to Secretary Peters, this is one-tenth of one percent of the cost of a new plane. The overall cost to the industry may cost close to one billion dollars.
While this may chafe the aviation industry, especially during a time when many airlines are barely hanging on financially, the last thing anyone wants is another disaster like Flight 800. And though many people would probably like to see the device in use quicker than the nine year timeline given, this is an important step toward lessening the already low chance of an in-flight explosion.
If you have lost a loved one in an aviation disaster, especially one that could have been avoided by installing updated technology, please contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area.
