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Thursday, May 21, 2015 12:21:28 PM
BLTA Mini Evacuation Test (Slides / Girt Bar) Summary
From extensive DD and what I have been able to piece together, here is a review of one of the last few remaining hurdles for BLTA until Certification and Inaugural Flight. The BLTA Mini Evacuation Test.
We know BLTA has done the Mini Evac 6 times. BLTA has not yet passed. The BLTA Crew has performed brilliantly, there has been no problem with with the Crew or BLTA itself. The sole issue has been mechanical, the failure of evacuation slides to deploy properly (most likely faulty packing). This issue has been a continual and known problem for years by the FAA.
Ironically, Test 6 apparently resolved the slides issue. All the slides deployed properly as required. The FAA even held meetings with BLTA for several days after the last Test. There was speculation that the FAA might even go ahead and give approval of the last BLTA Mini Evac. However, given the top FAA priority of Safety, no approval was given, yet.
Apparently, a new issue surfaced. A problem with the Girt / Girt Bar.
What is the girt bar used in a transport aircraft?
Most of the times is the metal bar that connects an emergency slide to the fuselage. When the door opens in an emergency, provided the door is "armed" (the girt bar is locked on the fuselage), the door pulls the slide with it (since the slide sits on the door). Almost immediately after the door opens, a small lanyard is automatically pulled and discharges the bottle of the slide and the slide inflates to the outside of the aircraft and towards the ground. The other end of the slide remains attached to the fuselage via the girt bar so that the passengers can jump on the slide and evacuate/slide-out of the aircraft.
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_girt_bar_used_in_a_transport_aircraft
https://www.google.com/search?q=girt+bar&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=620&tbm=isch&imgil=oaGg0PGwE1XilM%253A%253BmDH5TDb0ppnwEM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.mageeplastics.com%25252Fairlines%25252Fproducts%25252Fdetail.aspx%25253Fgid%2525253D3%25252526pid%2525253D835&source=iu&pf=m&fir=oaGg0PGwE1XilM%253A%252CmDH5TDb0ppnwEM%252C_&usg=__SOgWolvXnJ6HMOv9_DhyUkUpZzo%3D&dpr=1.25&ved=0CDgQyjc&ei=zNtcVZDcLpDfoATKy4GABg#imgrc=ip8ZFpePVJFRlM%253A%3BRhVOradgF3-5pM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimage.slidesharecdn.com%252F2-140612120637-phpapp02%252F95%252F2aircraft-emergency-equipments-57-638.jpg%253Fcb%253D1403799982%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.slideshare.net%252Fpartyrocka99%252F2aircraft-emergency-equipments%3B638%3B479
Without my being an engineer, it would appear that the Girt Bar issue is something relatively minor (whether it was overlooked or faulty), that should be rectified in plenty of time before the next BLTA Mini Evacuation Test that is coming up very shortly. Then BLTA can proceed on its quest for Certification and Inaugural Flight.
BLTA
From extensive DD and what I have been able to piece together, here is a review of one of the last few remaining hurdles for BLTA until Certification and Inaugural Flight. The BLTA Mini Evacuation Test.
We know BLTA has done the Mini Evac 6 times. BLTA has not yet passed. The BLTA Crew has performed brilliantly, there has been no problem with with the Crew or BLTA itself. The sole issue has been mechanical, the failure of evacuation slides to deploy properly (most likely faulty packing). This issue has been a continual and known problem for years by the FAA.
Ironically, Test 6 apparently resolved the slides issue. All the slides deployed properly as required. The FAA even held meetings with BLTA for several days after the last Test. There was speculation that the FAA might even go ahead and give approval of the last BLTA Mini Evac. However, given the top FAA priority of Safety, no approval was given, yet.
Apparently, a new issue surfaced. A problem with the Girt / Girt Bar.
What is the girt bar used in a transport aircraft?
Most of the times is the metal bar that connects an emergency slide to the fuselage. When the door opens in an emergency, provided the door is "armed" (the girt bar is locked on the fuselage), the door pulls the slide with it (since the slide sits on the door). Almost immediately after the door opens, a small lanyard is automatically pulled and discharges the bottle of the slide and the slide inflates to the outside of the aircraft and towards the ground. The other end of the slide remains attached to the fuselage via the girt bar so that the passengers can jump on the slide and evacuate/slide-out of the aircraft.
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_girt_bar_used_in_a_transport_aircraft
https://www.google.com/search?q=girt+bar&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=620&tbm=isch&imgil=oaGg0PGwE1XilM%253A%253BmDH5TDb0ppnwEM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.mageeplastics.com%25252Fairlines%25252Fproducts%25252Fdetail.aspx%25253Fgid%2525253D3%25252526pid%2525253D835&source=iu&pf=m&fir=oaGg0PGwE1XilM%253A%252CmDH5TDb0ppnwEM%252C_&usg=__SOgWolvXnJ6HMOv9_DhyUkUpZzo%3D&dpr=1.25&ved=0CDgQyjc&ei=zNtcVZDcLpDfoATKy4GABg#imgrc=ip8ZFpePVJFRlM%253A%3BRhVOradgF3-5pM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimage.slidesharecdn.com%252F2-140612120637-phpapp02%252F95%252F2aircraft-emergency-equipments-57-638.jpg%253Fcb%253D1403799982%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.slideshare.net%252Fpartyrocka99%252F2aircraft-emergency-equipments%3B638%3B479
Without my being an engineer, it would appear that the Girt Bar issue is something relatively minor (whether it was overlooked or faulty), that should be rectified in plenty of time before the next BLTA Mini Evacuation Test that is coming up very shortly. Then BLTA can proceed on its quest for Certification and Inaugural Flight.
BLTA
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