Completed
Committee for a Study on the Feasibility of Wheelchair Restraint Systems in Passenger Aircraft
TRB is convening the first committee meeting on February 5, 2020 to determine the feasibility of in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems in Passenger Aircraft and if feasible, the ways in which individuals with significant disabilities using wheelchairs, including power wheelchairs, can be accommodated with those systems. The study is sponsored by the U.S. Access Board in fulfillment of provisions in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act.
Featured publication
2021
There appear to be, in this preliminary assessment, no formidable issues that present design and engineering challenges for installing in-cabin wheelchair securement systems in airplanes. While equipping enough airplanes with securement systems to provide meaningful levels of airline service would r...
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Description
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene a study committee to assess and evaluate the conditions under which it may be technically feasible to equip passenger aircraft with in-cabin restraint systems for motorized and nonmotorized wheelchairs.
The committee will examine the design, engineering, and safety requirements for installation and use of these restraint systems and for the wheelchairs that would be used as seats in aircraft, including aircraft structural requirements, wheelchair occupant restraint and passenger emergency evacuation requirements, and injury criteria limits for both wheel chair users and occupants of seats behind and adjacent to the wheelchair users. The committee will also address the implications of the findings from these assessments on Federal Aviation Administration regulations and policies for airworthiness, crash worthiness, and other safety requirements.
Should the committee find, based on its analyses, reasonable circumstances under which it may be technically feasible to equip passenger aircraft with in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems, the study committee will then consider in more depth how individuals who use non-motorized and motorized wheelchairs can be effectively accommodated using these systems and how airlines can use them to provide an equal level of service to air travelers with significant disabilities.
Where appropriate, the committee may advise on further actions warranted for making public policy choices with respect to these systems, including needed research, information gathering, and technical analyses.
The study is sponsored by the U.S. Access Board in fulfillment of provisions in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act.
Contributors
Committee
Chair
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Disclosure of Conflict of Interest: Francis S. Heming, Jr.
The conflict of interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee authoring a Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed. An exception to this prohibition is permitted if the National Academies determines that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is publicly disclosed. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.
Dr. Francis S. Heming, Jr. has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on the Technical Feasibility of In-cabin Wheelchair Restraint Systems because he consults for an aerospace company that supplies aircraft seats, other cabin interior products, and other aviation systems, equipment, and services to airlines and other owners of aircraft.
The National Academies has concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established its membership must include at least one person who has detailed knowledge of federal and international standards governing the safety of aircraft seats and expertise in the engineering, testing, and certification of seats to meet these standards. It is reasonable to assume these safety standards would need to be met by wheelchairs when used as passenger seats on aircraft. As described in his biographical summary, Dr. Heming has extensive experience and specialized expertise in the testing and certification aircraft seats, including lengthy past service on relevant standards committees.
The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of Dr. Heming is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who does not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable.
The National Academies believes that Dr. Heming can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.
Disclosure of Conflict of Interest: Gary Weissel
The conflict of interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee authoring a Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed. An exception to this prohibition is permitted if the National Academies determines that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is publicly disclosed. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.
Mr. Gary Weissel has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on the Technical Feasibility of In-cabin Wheelchair Restraint Systems because his firm has consulting agreements with airlines, including consulting on aircraft cabin interior planning and management.
The National Academies has concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established its membership must include at least one person who has current experience in airline cabin interior arrangements. As described in his biographical summary, Mr. Weissel has extensive and broad current experience pertaining to aircraft interior design, modification, and conversions.
The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of Mr. Weissel is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who does not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable.
The National Academies believes that Mr. Weissel can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.
Committee Membership Roster Comments
Dr. George A. Lesieutre was appointed on January 17, 2020.
Sponsors
Other, Federal
U.S. Access Board
Staff
Melissa Welch-Ross
Lead
Thomas Menzies
Lead
Tracy Lustig
Lead
Claudia Sauls
Anusha Jayasinghe
Michael Covington