This TSO is proposed to provide minimum performance standards for the flammability characteristics of blankets to be used for passenger comfort in aircraft cabins.
On November 28, 1993, the pilot of a Northwest Airlines B727-200 aircraft declared an emergency after a fire was reported in an overhead stowage bin. The fire was noticed just as the aircraft was being pushed back from the loading gate at Dorval International Airport. The fire was extinguished by crew members and all passengers were safely evacuated.
The stowage bin involved in the fire contained a personal carry-on bag and five 100 percent polyester airline blankets in two separate piles. The blankets were supplied by two different manufacturers. Upon completion of their investigation, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada determined that the original source of fuel for the fire was the 100 percent polyester airline blankets. This conclusion was based on TSB testing of a section of unburned blanket. In their first test, a lit match was placed at the edge of the blanket. In their second test, a lit match was placed on top of the blanket. In both cases, the blanket ignited and rapid propagation of flame was observed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not require flammability testing of airline blankets. Therefore in light of the above incident, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board asked the FAA to develop a fire performance test method and performance criteria for blankets suppled to commercial airline operators. At that time, many airlines used blankets that met only the FAA vertical Bunsen burner test criteria specified in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations §?25.853. However, this test may be inappropriate as a measurement of ignitability for certain types of blankets since the polyester blankets involved in the Northwest Airlines B727-200 fire met the test criteria.
In March 1996, the FAA's Technical Center completed the development of a flammability test for blankets. The Technical Center published its report and included it in the FAA's Aircraft Materials Fire Test Handbook. In August 1996, the FAA issued Flight Standards Information Bulletin for Air Transportation (FSAT) 96-11 that recommended that air carriers replace old blankets at the end of their service life with blankets that met these new FAA-developed standards.
FSAT 96-11 expired in August 1997, and industry no longer had an FAA-approved flammability standard for aircraft blankets to reference. Therefore, the FAA is issuing Technical Standard Order (TSO) C152, Flammability Test Method for Aircraft Blankets.
