The US Federal Aviation Administration last week ordered the fuselage
insulation in nearly 700 commercial aircraft to be replaced within the next four
years. An FAA study found that the Mylar insulation lining the fuselage actually
help to fire to spread, prompting suspicions about the spread of fire in last
year’s Swiss Air crash. Other insulation materials also marginally failed the
FAA’s new tests, but will not be replaced.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
2
Possible signs of ancient life on Mars are rich in complex carbon
3
Screwworm could be the first species targeted by an 'extinction drive'
4
How menopause radically changes the brain – and what happens after
5
Some of the last Neanderthals were surprisingly genetically diverse
6
You should turn off fans when it's too hot – but how hot is too hot?
7
How some people's brains make an extraordinary recovery from stroke
8
Faecal transplant makes the brains of old mice act young again
9
Huge crater in Australia may be the oldest impact structure on Earth
10
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science



