US: Airlines accept $27M proposal for overhead repairs for 737
Despite the nearly $27m price tag, airlines aren’t fighting a federal proposal to improve the safety of overhead equipment panels in Boeing 737 aircraft. The FAA proposed the regulation Oct. 13 because of reports that passengers were hit in the face and head by the panels of equipment that typically hold reading lights and oxygen masks below the carry-on bins. Another concern was that the fallen panels could hinder evacuation during an emergency. The NTSB investigated several survivable accidents from 2008 through 2011 in which the panels separated from the planes, “likely increasing the number of reported occupant injuries, particularly to the head and face,” according to Chairman Christopher Hart. To remedy the problem, the FAA is proposing that airlines install new support cords for the panels within five years. The only suggestion that American Airlines and Japan Airlines offered by the Nov. 28 deadline was comment was to extend the repair deadline to seven years, so that repairs could coincide with major maintenance overhauls and avoid taking planes out of service twice. United called the proposal “clear, easily understood and with an acceptable compliance time line.”<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2016-12-08/general/us-airlines-accept-27m-proposal-for-overhead-repairs-for-737
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US: Airlines accept $27M proposal for overhead repairs for 737
Despite the nearly $27m price tag, airlines aren’t fighting a federal proposal to improve the safety of overhead equipment panels in Boeing 737 aircraft. The FAA proposed the regulation Oct. 13 because of reports that passengers were hit in the face and head by the panels of equipment that typically hold reading lights and oxygen masks below the carry-on bins. Another concern was that the fallen panels could hinder evacuation during an emergency. The NTSB investigated several survivable accidents from 2008 through 2011 in which the panels separated from the planes, “likely increasing the number of reported occupant injuries, particularly to the head and face,” according to Chairman Christopher Hart. To remedy the problem, the FAA is proposing that airlines install new support cords for the panels within five years. The only suggestion that American Airlines and Japan Airlines offered by the Nov. 28 deadline was comment was to extend the repair deadline to seven years, so that repairs could coincide with major maintenance overhauls and avoid taking planes out of service twice. United called the proposal “clear, easily understood and with an acceptable compliance time line.”<br/>
