Human Responses to a Simulated 35,000-Foot Instantaneous Decompression and the Subsequent Descent Profile Required by FAA Policy [Cover title]

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute2015PDFTech ReportSelf, David A.Shaffstall, Robert M.Mandella, Joseph G.Paskoff, Lawrence NWhite, VickyBurian, DennisUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Office of Aviation. Civil Aerospace Medical InstituteUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Office of Aviation. Office of Aerospace MedicineUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Office of Aviation. Civil Aerospace Medical InstituteUnited StatesAirlinesAltitudeDecompressionDescentHuman subject testingOxygenPassengersSimulationFAA Interim PolicyRapid DecompressionOxygen FluxOxygen DeficitFederal Aviation Administration Descent ProfileBoyle's LawDOT/FAA/AM-15/8Sudden decompression of an airliner passenger cabin due to structural failure or damage is unlikely, but it poses a potentially life-threatening event for occupants. We investigated a worst-case scenario, where the passenger fails to receive supplemental oxygen during a rapid decompression (RD), and the subsequent emergency descent to 25,000 ft required by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) policy. Our research question was whether an individual's oxygen stores will be depleted prior to the aircraft descending to an altitude that will permit inward fluxes of oxygen that exceed the resting oxygen consumption requirement.115