General Aviation Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting

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General AviationAircraft Rescue Fire Fighting

• Aircraft Familiarization Training
• Don Elliott
• Columbia Regional Airport
• Columbia, Missouri
• don_at_arff.info

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Types of Aircraft Accident Statistics

• 78 of active civil aircraft are single engine.
• 10 of active civil aircraft are light twin
  engine.
• 12 of active civil aircraft are over 12,500 lbs.
• 95 of all aircraft accidents occur within 10
  miles of an airport.

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General aviation aircraft are the greatest
potential hazard to a firefighter.
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Primary Hazards

• Fire - Class A, B, C, and D.
• Toxic Fumes/Smoke.
• Explosions - Ordnance/ Fuel Cells/ Cargo/ Oxygen
  Tanks

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Aircraft Terminology

• Fixed Wing Aircraft Components

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Fuselage

• The main body structure of an Aircraft. Houses
  the crew, passengers and cargo. The wings,
  landing gear, and tail are attached to it.

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Wings

• Designed to develop the major portion of the lift
  required for heavier-than-air aircraft.

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Empennage

• The aircraft tail assemble including the vertical
  and horizontal stabilizers, rudders and elevators.

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Cockpit

• The fuselage compartment occupied by the pilots.

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Canopy

• Transparent enclosure over the cockpit of fighter
  type aircraft.

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Engines

• Power plants for the aircraft.
• Can be- Piston, Turboprop or Jet.
• Engines are numbered consecutively from the
  pilots left to right. (i.e.. 1,2,3,4)

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Nacelles

• The housing of an externally mounted engine.

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Surfaces

• General term that applies to the devices that
  enable the pilot to control the direction of
  flight and altitude.
• Keep hands clear from movable surfaces.

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Ailerons

• Attached to the trailing edge of the wing.
• Controls the roll (banking) motion of the
  aircraft.

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Elevators

• Attached to the horizontal stabilizer (fin).
• Controls the climb or descent of the aircraft.

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Rudder (Vertical Stabilizer)

• The upright movable part of the aircraft tail
  assemble that assists in the directional control
  of the aircraft.

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Flaps

• Attached to the trailing edge of the wings to
  improve aerodynamic performance during takeoff
  and landing.

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Spoilers/Speed Brakes

• Moveable aerodynamic devices or plates on
  aircraft that extend into the airstream to reduce
  the airspeed of the aircraft by increasing drag.
  Used during descent and to assist slowing the
  aircraft.

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Landing Gear

• Usually of tricycle design, consists of main
  landing gear strut under each wing or fuselage
  and one nose landing gear strut. The landing gear
  is also used for steering and braking.

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Aircraft Structural Materials

• Aluminum
• Beryllium
• Steel
• Wood

• Magnesium
• Titanium
• Composite Materials
• Other Materials

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Aluminum Aluminum Alloys

• Lightweight material used in sheets for skin
  surfaces, as channels and castings for framework.
• Light gray appearance or silver when polished.
• Does not withstand heat well, melts at approx..
  1,200 F.

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Beryllium

• Used on aircraft brakes system.
• Resembles magnesium in color.
• May produce an irritating or poisonous gas when
  involved in a fire.
• SCBA must be worn when fighting fires involving
  beryllium.

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Steel

• Used in aircraft engine parts, around engine
  nacelles, engine fire walls , and tubing.
• Presents no fire hazard, but may contribute to
  the fire by sparking if friction is created.
• Heavy metal but is useful in high heat or
  tolerance areas.

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Wood

• Used in older aircraft in structural areas such
  as wings spars, wing ribs and bulkheads.
• Most common use is when combined with tubular
  steel framing with wooden components.

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Combustible Conventional Metal Materials

• magnesium and titanium are the most common
  combustible metals used in aircraft.

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Magnesium

• Strong and lightweight material used in landing
  gear, wheels, engines mountings brackets,
  crankcase sections, cover plates, and other
  engine parts. Generally used in areas where
  forcible entry will not be required.

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Magnesium

• The appearance of this metal is silvery-white or
  grayish in color.
• Very hard to ignite but once ignited, it burns
  intensely and is difficult to extinguish.
• Poses as a serious re-ignition source.

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Magnesium

• The ease of ignition depends primarily on its
  mass (thickness shape). Ignition temperature is
  generally considered to be close to its melting
  point of 1202 degrees F.
• When specialized extinguishing agents are not
  available, dry sand may be used to cover and
  smoother the fire.

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Magnesium
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Titanium

• Silver-gray material that is as strong as
  ordinary steel but is 56 lighter.
• Used primarily in engine parts, around engine
  nacelles, engine fire walls, and turbine blades.
  Also used to reinforce skin surfaces to protect
  them from impinging exhaust flame or heat.

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Titanium

• Its ignition temperature is generally considered
  to be close to its melting temperature of 3,140
  degrees F.
• The metal burns with intensity and resist
  extinguishment much like magnesium.

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Composite Materials

• Carbon/Graphite
• Boron/Tungsten

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Carbon/Graphite Fibers

• Provide a superior stiffness, high
  strength-to-weight ratio, and ease of
  fabrication.
• Used extensively in modern aircraft to replace
  heavier components.

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Carbon/Graphite Fibers

• Epoxy fibers will begin to deteriorate or burn at
  approximately 725 degrees F. A severe
  contamination hazard is considered likely when
  the fibers become airborne.
• Once free, these small fibers can be transported
  up to several miles by air currents and can cause
  damage to unprotected electrical equipment.

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Boron/Tungsten

• Boron fibers to provide superior stiffness, high
  strength-to-weight ratio, and ease of
  fabrication.
• Boron fibers can be released if their epoxy
  binder burns.
• They can be extremely sharp and present a hazard
  during salvage and overhaul operations.

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Other Materials

• Fine fibers embedded in carbon/epoxy materials.
• The fibers are usually made of fiberglass,
  aramid, Kevlar epoxy, Kevlar graphite or carbon
  in the form of graphite.
• Produce a highly toxic gas when heated, even when
  no flame is noticeable.

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Types of Engines
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Piston Engine

• Single or twin engine aircraft.
• Horizontally opposed air cooled engine.
• Avgas

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Piston Engine

• Single or twin engine aircraft.
• Radial air cooled engine.
• Avgas

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Turboprop Engines

• Propeller geared to a small turbojet engine.
• Used widely in small and medium sized passenger
  aircraft.

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Turboprop Engines

• Easily distinguished form piston aircraft.
• Cylindrically shaped engine nacelle.
• Large exhaust ports.

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Turboprop Engines

• Some engines produce 80 of thrust at the prop
  and 20 thrust from the jet exhaust.
• Turboprop engines use Jet A fuel.

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Jet Engines

• High power output per engine weight and size.
• Used in large and small passenger aircraft.

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Jet Engines

• Easily distinguishable from other types of
  engines.
• Civil aviation will use Jet A fuel.

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Types of Aircraft
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Single Engine

• Most single engine aircraft are
• Piston Engine
• Unpressurized
• Light Metal

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Single Engine

• 1,200 to 6,000 pounds
• 1 to 6 seats
• 10 to 300 gallons Avgas

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Light Twin Engine

• Most light twin engine aircraft are
• Piston engine
• Unpressurized
• Light to heavy metal

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Light Twin Engine

• 4,000 to 10,000 pounds.
• 4 to 8 seats.
• 80 to 400 gallons Avgas

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Heavy Multi-Engine

• Most Heavy Multi-Engine Aircraft are
• 2 to 4 turboprop engines
• Pressurized
• Heavy construction

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Heavy Multi-Engine

• 8,000 to 55,000 pounds
• 8 to 70 seats
• 350 to 1,500 gallons Jet-A

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Jet Aircraft

• Most jet aircraft are
• 2 to 4 engine
• Pressurized
• Heavy construction

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Jet Aircraft

• 12,500 to 710,000 pounds
• 12 to 500 seats
• 800 to 50,000 gallons Jet-A
• Hydraulic pressures to 3,000 P.S.I.

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