FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
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AVIATION MEDICINE REPORTS

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-99/4

Title and Subtitle: Concepts providing for physiological protection after aircraft cabin decompression in the altitude range of 60,000 to 80,000 feet above sea level

Report Date: February 1999

Authors: Garner, R.P.

Abstract: The European aircraft Concorde provides evidence that the technology required for building supersonic passenger transport has long been available. In the United States, development efforts for this type of airplane were functionally abandoned in the early 1970s. In recent years, changes in technology, world political structures, and economics have stimulated interest in the development of a fleet of supersonic transports for use in civilian aviation. The future aircraft has been designated the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). As part of the development process, all potential challenges associated with design characteristics of the aircraft must be addressed.

This report reviews the physiological issues related to cabin decompression during high-altitude flight. A number of strategies for protecting passengers and crewmembers after high-altitude cabin decompression are discussed. Due to the physiological consequences associated with high-altitude decompression, a combination of protective systems may be necessary. At a minimum, it would appear that increased structural integrity of the cabin, a repressurization system, and an optimally designed supplemental oxygen system for crew and passengers are required.

Key Words: High Speed Civil Transport, Supersonic Transport, Hypoxia, Decompression, Physiological Protection at Altitude, Cabin Safety, High Altitude Flight

No. of Pages: 16