US government auditors have reprimanded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its slow pace in forcing electrical wiring safety steps, urging the agency to re-examine its methods and rulemaking procedures to speed up the implementation of modifications.
The US Transportation Department's Office of the Inspector General says: "It is not too soon for the FAA to develop an overall implementation strategy." A Capitol Hill legislator has reinforced the message saying: "We cannot afford to continue at a snail's pace. The FAA must stop dragging its feet."
The concerns result from the September 1998 crash of a Swissair Boeing MD-11 caused, it is suspected, by an electrical fire, and the July 1996 Trans World Airlines Boeing 747 accident in which an electrical component is believed to have ignited fuel vapour in the centre-wing fuel tank.
An Ageing Transport Systems Rulemaking Advisory Committee, set up to recommend safety regulation changes, will soon present its findings. Aircraft inspections show that there is no immediate problem, but the FAA says there may need to be "some follow-on corrective actions" in maintenance and design practices.
Progress is reported in adapting arc fault circuit-breakers for commercial aviation. These react to an electrical short-circuit much faster than thermal circuit-breakers, disabling the circuit and warning of a fault.
The FAA has now acquired a retired Boeing 747 to carry out thorough examinations of non-structural systems like wiring.
Source: Flight International
