NTSB Recommends FAA Research into High-Strength Polymers for Airship Envelopes
The National Transportation Safety Board urges the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate new materials and update regulatory standards if they prove safer.
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a recommendation directed at the Federal Aviation Administration concerning the safety of lighter-than-air aircraft. The board advises that the agency should research the use of new high-strength polymers that could be incorporated into the fabric design of these aircraft envelopes. Following this research, the information should be disseminated to all manufacturers of lighter-than-air aircraft. Furthermore, if testing demonstrates that airship envelopes manufactured with these high-strength polymers are substantially safer than current fabric designs, the board recommends revising the associated regulatory standards accordingly.
Original regulatory source: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/sr-details/A-94-159