The US Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have begun efforts to make Boeing 747 fuel tanks safer. Officials are seeking an early meeting with the American Petroleum Institute to discuss converting commercial aircraft from Jet-A fuel to military JP-5 fuel, which has a higher flashpoint.
The NTSB, meanwhile, has called for a meeting in the middle of this month with the parties involved in the 1996 crash of the Trans World Airlines Boeing 747-100, to explore action needed. The Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee will advise the FAA within six months on viable ways to purge vapours and ignition sources within fuel tanks.
Source: Flight International
