View Full Version : Help Needed - Aeroplane Evacuation
Well this is a little bit random but, if you don't ask, you don't get.
So here goes...
As a 3rd year Computing Science project, 5 students and myself have to build a real-time 3D Evacuation simulator. It's aim is to assist in the study of evacuation from aeroplanes during a fire. The main aircraft that we're going to simulate is the new Airbus A380 which (as far as I know) hasn't flown commercially yet.
I was just wondering if anyone on these boards had any idea's where to get information on such topics. I believe that there was a BBC Horizon programme on last month concerning aircraft safety and evacuation. I've tried the BBC website but there's no way of viewing the episode. Any idea's.
I realise this is a pretty random topic of the Org but, it's deffinately a change to the usual weather/flood/Tesco discussions! ;)
If anyone has any information they think may be useful please pass it on.
What i'm looking for is information regarding passenger reactions during such a situation so this can be modelled realisticly.
I am of course doing the usual googling myself by you never know who's got an interest in this sort of stuff.
Many thanks.
martin macdonald
30-Oct-06, 23:20
Well this is a little bit random but, if you don't ask, you don't get.
So here goes...
As a 3rd year Computing Science project, 5 students and myself have to build a real-time 3D Evacuation simulator. It's aim is to assist in the study of evacuation from aeroplanes during a fire. The main aircraft that we're going to simulate is the new Airbus A380 which (as far as I know) hasn't flown commercially yet.
I was just wondering if anyone on these boards had any idea's where to get information on such topics. I believe that there was a BBC Horizon programme on last month concerning aircraft safety and evacuation. I've tried the BBC website but there's no way of viewing the episode.
I realise this is a pretty random topic of the Org but, it's deffinately a change to the usual weather/flood/Tesco discussions! ;)
If anyone has any information they think may be useful please pass it on.
What i'm looking for is information regarding passenger reactions during such a situation so this can be modelled realisticly.
I am of course doing the usual googling myself by you never know who's got an interest in this sort of stuff.
Many thanks. fire depo at wick airport
I can confirm that the A380 has not yet entered commercial service. In fact it might be delayed due to rising costs (surprise).
I believe that Cranfield University Aerospace departments do studies on this subject or should be able to point you in the right direction.
Full-scale 737 and A380 aircraft cabin simulators for aircraft evacuation trials;
http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/soe/postgraduate/reasons.htm
Blast, there was an incident involving a flight from France (I think) at the Toronto Pearson airport in the summer of 2005. It involved a fire and evacuation. I remember that all passengers were off the plane in 2 minutes and other than minor injuries everyone was safe. It was considered a miracle. If I can find any more clues to help with a search I'll PM you.
Malcolmdog and rich might remember more of the details.
Whitewater
31-Oct-06, 00:42
MadPict has it right Cranfield University do (or used to) do modeling on this subject. Also worth a look is the training centre for new firemen at ????? Blast I've forgot the name, so sorry.
Serco International Fire Training Centre, Teesside???
If you are after an old episode off terrestrial TV, check out the uknova.com bitorrent site. It might take you a few days to get in as membership is limited but I find it a great help when I am looking for stuff. It's not done by invites or I would send one your way ;)
MadPict has it right Cranfield University do (or used to) do modeling on this subject. Also worth a look is the training centre for new firemen at ????? Blast I've forgot the name, so sorry.
Good point. You can also try the Civil Aviation Authority and each of the airlines, since they have to put all of their cabin crews through a training schedule.
Hey guys, thanks for the help so far. We've amassed a fair amount of information which should be pretty useful when we go to model the aircraft and evacuation engine.
There's just one more thing.... :D
This is an even longer shot than before but does anyone watch the National Geographic series Megastructures???
Well they ran an episode recently called "World's Biggist Airliner" - it just so happens that the airliner featured is the Airbus A380. It details the building and testing of the plane and this sort of material would be ideal to our study.
If anyone knows of a source on the et (torrent, news group) where I could get a copy of this episode please contact me a.s.a.p.
Any help is very much appreciated.
Thanks again,
Kevin.
Cedric Farthsbottom III
07-Nov-06, 15:43
Billy Connolly once said that if a plane was going to crash into a mountain.All the passengers should pick their cushions up,and throw them at the same time sayin',"Go away nasty mountain".
P.s Mr Billy Boy as ye can see I've washed ma mooth oot wi carbholic soap and no mentioned Russell Brand.....ooops!!!:lol: :lol:
It's slightly related...................
Why do they still insist on showing you how to fasten and unfasten a seatbelt?
You shouldn't be out the house if you don't know already.
Why do they refer to "A landing over water"?
- It's called a "crash" or a "ditching"
The point about the seatbelt - it has been shown in evacuation drills and scientific tests that many passengers automatically try to undo seatbelts as if they were the type fitted to cars where you press a release button. This is why many passengers are still in their seats after certain types of crash - they failed to undo their belt by lifting the buckle and die from smoke inhalation.
I dare say the pilots try to land (wheels up) the aircraft rather than crash it or ditch it. The aim is to keep the aircraft in one piece and upright so it is a controlled crash in some respects, but I dare say psychologists advise to use non-threatening terms when explaining to passengers....
Is this any help, or have you checked it out already?
http://www.tv.com/national-geographic-channel-megastructures/worlds-biggest-airliner-airbus-a380/episode/535723/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;15
Well this is a little bit random but, if you don't ask, you don't get.
So here goes...
As a 3rd year Computing Science project, 5 students and myself have to build a real-time 3D Evacuation simulator. It's aim is to assist in the study of evacuation from aeroplanes during a fire. The main aircraft that we're going to simulate is the new Airbus A380 which (as far as I know) hasn't flown commercially yet.
I was just wondering if anyone on these boards had any idea's where to get information on such topics. I believe that there was a BBC Horizon programme on last month concerning aircraft safety and evacuation. I've tried the BBC website but there's no way of viewing the episode. Any idea's.
I realise this is a pretty random topic of the Org but, it's deffinately a change to the usual weather/flood/Tesco discussions! ;)
If anyone has any information they think may be useful please pass it on.
What i'm looking for is information regarding passenger reactions during such a situation so this can be modelled realisticly.
I am of course doing the usual googling myself by you never know who's got an interest in this sort of stuff.
Many thanks.
Try this site http://www.airliners.de/industrie/A380/index.php
its in German but you should be able gleen something from it If your really stuck for a translation of parts PM
brokencross
07-Nov-06, 21:45
Blast, I have seen both the programmes you refer to, about the Airbus and "How to Survive a Plane Crash". The series of Megastructures shows are repeated at quite frequent intervals so keep your eyes on the listings.
Madpict mentions the Fire Training Centre at Teesside Airport (now Durham Tees Valley Airport); well a good few years ago I volunteered for a project/exercise that some professor was running about aeroplane evacuation. We were all given strict medicals etc. before taking part.
At Teesside Airport they have "old" planes at the end of the runway for fire fighting training and suchlike. We were all seated and belted up in these aircraft, then had to evacuate as quickly as possible. we had to do it numerous times with various obstacles, hinderances. The evacuation was timed and monitored closely.
So I agree with Madpict that they may have records of the exercise or its findings at Teesside.
BLAST, just did some research for you the Megastructures "Building of the Airbus A380" is on the Nat Geo TV channel at 4pm Monday 20 November, 2pm 13th Dec and 8pm 31st dec.
schematics, weights, dimensions, etc. http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/jetliner/a380/
You'll get more from there than you will from the Daily Mail approach to science that Horizon has taken to using in the last few years.
And it's in English :)
j4bberw0ck
07-Nov-06, 22:22
You'll get more from there than you will from the Daily Mail approach to science that Horizon has taken to using in the last few years.
Well said that person....... the BBC claims not to be dumbing down but Horizon has become almost unwatcheable - everything repeated and recapped endlessly. (Sorry about the off-topic rant but I just got carried away by finding that someone agreed with my suspicions......) :lol:
even though I don't think we can blame Horizon for this particular programme!
Try Googling "Manchester 22 August 1985 Boeing 737". It will throw up information on a plane fire at Manchester Airport.
There was a fairly thorough investigation afterwards so it should give you some sort of start. You might have to dig round a little for information and the plane size is obviously different.
It should give you some idea of the problems involved. The pilot aborted take off due to an engine fire and stopped the plane right outside the Airport Fire Station.
You couldn't get nearer to assistance than where he stopped and still many passengers didn't make it off including two of the Stewardesses.
The new Airbus carries several times more passengers so the problems of evacuation will multiplied considerably.
Good luck with your project, I certainly don't envy you.
Wow!
This endless stream of information is so valueble, thanks very much eveyone.
Just to let you know....
1) We've already looked into the Manchester fire, thanks anyway
2) We've got plenty of information on the actual A380 specification and size, infact i think we've got hold of a wireframe model of it which will help us greatly.
3) The Billy Connolly quote is hilarious :D
4) We've already investigated the seatbelt issue - it's actually amazing how people react in a frantic situation, i.e. trying to undo the belt like they are in a car (push button) then in an areoplane (pull release).
Thanks very much brokencross, i don't have sky, but i'll deffinately get one of the other guys to record it!
So anyway....just so you guys know.....here's some sort of backgroud info.
Basically,
We're to build a 3D Evacuation model of the Airbus A380 in a cabin configuration of our choice (we've chosen econemy - 850(ish) passengers). It's based on Java 3D, importing models from AC3D and we're to acurately model human behavior based on certain variables i.e. age, sex, personality, etc. It's going to be similar to the Exudos models produced by Prof. Ed Galea but maybe not as complex.
When we complete it, i'll make sure it's uploaded to the net somewhere for you intrested folk to download and look at.
Again, thanks very much so far, i'l be back in touch if we've struggling again.
- Kevin
thanks, jabberwock! I haven't watched Horizon in years, in all fairness, (mainly due to low expectations, if I want science I'll find it online) but they got an absolute slating on www.theregister.co.uk for their coverage of their latest programme: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/27/bbc_horizon/
Having said that, Mr. Orblowski doesn't write anything other than slatings about any subject. So his view is slighly jaded. He's like "grumpy old men" but about the technical world only. Just try him on wikipedia... he's got a real chip on his shoulder, there.
Back on topic, blast, you've considered the human reactions of the passengers. Have you also taken into account the fact that the EasyJet/RyanAir/BA staff are glorified cafe assistants?
A friend of mine, who is a fireman at (undisclosed airport), told me about an incident aboard a (undisclosed airline) aeroplane where the port engine caught fire. This is very scary.
The port engine is very much smoking away merrily, and the cabin crew have to evacuate the passengers. Instead of getting them all out through the starboard side, they just opened all the doors, deployed the chutes, then fired the passengers down them as fast as they could.
The result of this action? Potentially lots and lots of fumes/smoke getting into the cabin from the fire (wind direction dependent, of course) and, more importantly, lots and lots of passengers descending into a jet-fuel fire. Very quickly, and landing on top of each other before the fire-crew could get them away from the bottom.
On that occasion, there were few injuries at all, no deaths and virtually no write-up in the press. But your model really needs to take into account panic and low-training amongst the staff.
While not directly related to aircraft evac it is about the A380....
From an aviation forum I frequent....
One of the experimental A380īs came to Keflavik (BIKF) around noon today, to shoot some crosswindlandings for the certification process.
http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/frett.html?nid=1234088
:eek:
WOW! That is some size of baby ! :eek:
Not sure I fancy travelling in it though .........
I'm sure it will be one of the safest planes ever built.....but if things go wrong,look how many people will be affected.....so many at one time.
It would bring air disasters to a new scale!
I don't mean to just see the negative.....but it is huge!
It is large but then the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet received the same remarks - in ten years time you won't think twice about getting on a A380.
Ten years seems like a fair time to decide whether I would actually set foot on one.....little chance of it landing in Wick though!;)
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