Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
FAA's Flight Fuel
Aired December 12, 2002 - 13:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The 1996 crash of TWA flight 800 was one of the worst in U.S. Aviation history. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration is unveiling new inert technology for fuel that could prevent similar disasters from happening.
CNN's Patty Davis joins us now live from Atlantic City, New Jersey with the details.
Hi, Patty.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
Promising new technology in the belly of this 747 aircraft. We're at the FAA's technical facility in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Research currently going on behind me in this 747. Now, what they're thinking is that this technology could prevent another TWA 800.
What happened in that crash, they believe, something sparked volatile vapors that were heated somehow in the center fuel tank of that 747. It exploded and everybody on board died. That of course in July of 1996.
Now, let's show you what exactly the unit is that the FAA Has developed. We'll bring in John Hickey of the FAA to explain, John, how does that unit work?
JOHN HICKEY, FAA: It's simple, Patty. With the help of this air-separation module, our system can remove oxygen-enriched air in a fuel tank that is potentially flammable and replace it with nitrogen- rich air which has been shown to be very effective at preventing explosions.
DAVIS: I see, so you are making that explosion almost impossible.
HICKEY: Nothing is ever impossible, but we are going to greatly increase the level of safety in fuel tanks with this technology.
DAVIS: How significant is this, John?
HICKEY: This is a major milestone, in my view, in terms of our develop development towards moving to eliminate any future accidents like TWA 800 in the future.
DAVIS: Thank you very much. Now, one FAA official telling me today, in fact, that we could see this on commercial aircraft in 2004, so just two years from now. And in fact, Boeing tells me that they have applied to the FAA for certification. They do have a design. They want to go ahead and do more testing and see at least on 737s, 747s, and expand that to 757, 767, if this will indeed work. The FAA is showing us today that they believe it can -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: That's good news. Patty Davis from Atlantic City, thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 12, 2002 - 13:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The 1996 crash of TWA flight 800 was one of the worst in U.S. Aviation history. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration is unveiling new inert technology for fuel that could prevent similar disasters from happening.
CNN's Patty Davis joins us now live from Atlantic City, New Jersey with the details.
Hi, Patty.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
Promising new technology in the belly of this 747 aircraft. We're at the FAA's technical facility in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Research currently going on behind me in this 747. Now, what they're thinking is that this technology could prevent another TWA 800.
What happened in that crash, they believe, something sparked volatile vapors that were heated somehow in the center fuel tank of that 747. It exploded and everybody on board died. That of course in July of 1996.
Now, let's show you what exactly the unit is that the FAA Has developed. We'll bring in John Hickey of the FAA to explain, John, how does that unit work?
JOHN HICKEY, FAA: It's simple, Patty. With the help of this air-separation module, our system can remove oxygen-enriched air in a fuel tank that is potentially flammable and replace it with nitrogen- rich air which has been shown to be very effective at preventing explosions.
DAVIS: I see, so you are making that explosion almost impossible.
HICKEY: Nothing is ever impossible, but we are going to greatly increase the level of safety in fuel tanks with this technology.
DAVIS: How significant is this, John?
HICKEY: This is a major milestone, in my view, in terms of our develop development towards moving to eliminate any future accidents like TWA 800 in the future.
DAVIS: Thank you very much. Now, one FAA official telling me today, in fact, that we could see this on commercial aircraft in 2004, so just two years from now. And in fact, Boeing tells me that they have applied to the FAA for certification. They do have a design. They want to go ahead and do more testing and see at least on 737s, 747s, and expand that to 757, 767, if this will indeed work. The FAA is showing us today that they believe it can -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: That's good news. Patty Davis from Atlantic City, thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
