Wanted: 1,100 volunteers for A380 escape demonstration

Test set for ‘late summer' to certificate the airliner to carry over 850 passengers

Airbus is preparing to seek 1,100 volunteers to take part in A380 evacuation demonstration tests, with the aim of certificating the airliner to carry over 850 passengers.

The long-planned demonstration will be carried out at Airbus's Hamburg Finkenwerder plant using the fourth A380 flight-test aircraft (MSN007), which will be equipped with a special 853-passenger interior (Flight International 11-17 January).

The test is due to take place in the "late summer", says A380 safety director Francis Guimera, and participants will be recruited from local sports clubs.

"We will attempt to evacuate 853 passengers, 18 cabin attendants and two flightcrew from the aircraft in 90s using half of the 16 exit doors available [see table]," he explains.

Guimera says the number of cabin crew involved is determined by the requirement for one per exit, plus an additional supervisor on each deck. Discussions are under way with a "partner airline" to provide a group of 40 cabin crew for the tests.

The trial will be carried out in Finkenwerder's A380 paint hangar in the "dark of night", although new regulations allow for some illumination on the ground for safety reasons, to enable participants to move away from the aircraft safely.

"We are also now allowed to predeploy some slides, and we are thinking that these will be on the upper deck," says Guimera. He adds that the test will be witnessed by the European and US regulatory authorities, which will advise Airbus 48h beforehand which exits will be available.

After the test, analysis will determine the certificated maximum passenger capacity. If it is necessary to re-run the test, a second trial can be carried out five days later using a new set of volunteers.

MAX KINGSLEY-JONES/HAMBURG

*Age/gender mix = minimum of 40% females, 35% over age 50 and 15% female over age 50

Source: Flight International