Bigphilnyc From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 4073 posts, RR: 56 Posted (9 years 8 months 1 week 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 3059 times:
I check maintenence records of aircraft a lot, and it seems, without exagerration that about 75% of maintenance entries pertain to "emergency exit path lights inoperative".
What is up with that? It doesn't matter what the aircraft.
VC-10 From United Kingdom, joined Oct 1999, 3677 posts, RR: 37 Reply 2, posted (9 years 8 months 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 3030 times:
On most a/c the floorpath lighting is on the floor (as against built into the seats). Being on the floor it naturally get troddon on, but in addition it is also attacked by vacuum cleaners every t/round and it is not unknown for the wiring to be cut when new carpet is fitted
OPNLguy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (9 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 2963 times:
Some of the emergency floor path lights can be inop, but with limitations. The airline's minimum equipment list (MEL) will specify acceptable configurations.
There are several different vendors of these systems, but in the simplest of terms (using a 737 as an example) they have single white lights (20-24 inches apart) in the aisle, and 4-6 (depending upon the vendor) red lights wherever there is an exit. The MEL says at least 1/2 of all the white lights must be operative, and no two adjacent white lights may be inop. The MEL also says no more than 2-3 of the red lights at the exits can be inop. Anything other than that, you must fix it before it flies.
242 From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 498 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (9 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 2947 times:
The exit path lighting sees a very abusive life. Lights mounted on tracks in the floor usually have wires running under the carpet, where they get run over, wet with coffee, cola etc....
The seat mounted lights get smashed by careless passengers with heavy bags and cabin attendants with galley carts. The wiring usually is ty-rapped under the seat and is frequently damaged by passengers trying to stuff huge peices of luggage under the seat.
Crosswind From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2000, 2571 posts, RR: 59 Reply 5, posted (9 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 2952 times:
My airline is removing the exit path lighting from our fleet, as it is prone to damage and can delay flights while it is fixed, and repairs can be complex when dealing with wiring under the cabin floor.
The exit path lighting is being replaced with photoluminescent strips on the floor of the aircraft along the aisle. Any gap in the strip down the aisle indicates an exit at that point - the system is that simple. The initial investment is high, the photoluminescent strips cost approx £300 per metre, but they are totally self contained, require no power source and very little maintenace, and most importantly are totally reliable!
Hopefully, over the lifetime of the aircraft the investment will be more than repaid in reduced maintenance costs, and improved reliability.
The photo below shows a Finnair 757 with the same photoluminescent strips - you'll have to look at the large version to really see them.
Not the best photo, but the only one I could find in the database. While still quite rare, I think this type of exit path marking will become very common over the next couple of years as airlines get over the initial costs and realise the long term cost and reliability benefits...
Wilcharl From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1158 posts, RR: 3 Reply 6, posted (9 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 2904 times:
So once installed does the safety speach change from "whtie lights lead to red lights indicating that you have reached or are near an exit to" "low level photoluminescent strips are installed along the aisles an absence of such strip indicates that you have reached or are near an exit" ???
Pilottim747 From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 1607 posts, RR: 5 Reply 7, posted (9 years 8 months 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 2781 times:
Good reminder Crosswind,
I've seen this before on aircraft (although I can't remember where now). But I was wondering about the difference. It does make a lot of sense and I'm sure it will pay off in the long run.
pilottim747
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