Effects of Airplane Cabin Interiors on Egress I: Assessment of Anthropometrics, Seat Pitch, and Seat Width on Egress

6973GH-19-C-00102Within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-254 \ua7 577, Congress required that \u201c\u2026the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue regulations that establish minimum dimensions for passenger seats on aircraft operated by air carriers in interstate air transportation or intrastate air transportation, including minimums for seat pitch, width, and length, and that are necessary for the safety of passengers.\u201d This research project was developed to provide information to rule-makers within the FAA to meet this requirement

Effects of Airplane Cabin Interiors on Egress I: Assessment of Anthropometrics, Seat Pitch, and Seat Width on Egress, DOT-FAA-AM_21/01 [supporting datasets]

6973GH-19-C-00102Within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-254 \ua7 577, Congress required that \u201c\u2026the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue regulations that establish minimum dimensions for passenger seats on aircraft operated by air carriers in interstate air transportation or intrastate air transportation, including minimums for seat pitch, width, and length, and that are necessary for the safety of passengers.\u201d A total of 775 participants were recruited to assist with meeting two research objectives: first, to determine what percentage of the American population, based on anthropometric measurements, would be unable to sit in transport airplane passenger seats at the currently narrowest width and even narrower seat pitch. The second objective was to determine the effect of seat pitch and seat width on individual egress time. The study included 718 participants assigned to 12 groups who participated in up to four evacuations from the FAA\u2019s Flexible Aircraft Cabin Simulator (FlexSim), with various seat pitch and width combinations. Based on this study's results, currently flying seat pitches using seats of similar size or smaller than those used in this project can accommodate and not impede egress for 99% of the American population. This project also concluded that, similar to previous evacuation research, as long as ergonomic minimums are maintained, the transport airplane's interior configuration, including seat pitch and width, has not been shown to influence evacuations. This research project was developed to provide information to rule-makers within the FAA to meet this requirement

Effects of Airplane Cabin Interiors on Egress I: Assessment of Anthropometrics, Seat Pitch, and Seat Width on Egress, DOT-FAA-AM_21/01 [supporting datasets: videos]

6973GH-19-C-00102Because of the very large file sized of these videos, patrons will need to download the video files directly, using the "Direct Download" links provided in the README.These 60 video recordings represent the visual recordings of the measurement of the two research objectives of the study \u201cEffects of Airplane Cabin Interiors on Egress I: Assessment of Anthropometrics, Seat Pitch, and Seat Width on Egress," DOT/FAA/AM-21/01. The first objective was to determine what percentage of the American population, based on anthropometric measurements, would not be able to sit in transport airplane passenger seats at the currently narrowest and even narrower seat pitch. Second, this study sought to determine the effect of seat pitch and seat width on individual egress time during an aircraft evacuation.The 12 videos with file names which contain with the phrase "ExpSeatingMockupDay..." record participants sitting in or attempting to sit in a seat mock-up that matched the narrowest seat pitch they would experience in the evacuation trials, and to attempt to sit in or to sit in a seat mock-up of a narrower seat pitch than what would be presented in the evacuation trials. (See pages 9 and 10 of the related report for more information.) Each video is about 2 hours long, and shows a single camera view from the perspective of the left wall of an aircraft. The video records participant actions as each participant attempts to sit in the center seat of the third of three rows, and then the center seat of the second of three rows. The recordings are color video, without a soundtrack. Participant faces are blurred to protect individual privacy.The 48 videos with file names that start with "R01.mp4" and increment to "R48.mp4" are the recordings of the evacuations from CAMI FlexSim. (See pages 11 through 13 of the related report for more information.) Each video is about 45 seconds long, with the frame divided into 4 quarters, showing three views of the evacuation, and a single title slide with the date of the evacuation trial, and the trial number, which matches the file number on the recording. The view in the upper left of the frame is a view overhead and behind the flight attendant supervising the evacuation. The view in the upper right of the frame shows the exterior of the simulator to record how participants exit. The view in the lower right of frame shows the view from the rear of the simulator, as participants evacuate away from the camera to the front of the simulator. The lower left of the frame is the title slide. In the center of the frame is a timer, counting up the total time of the evacuation. The recordings are color video, without a soundtrack. Participant faces are blurred to protect individual privacy.The videos can be viewed on any modern video player