What it All Means - A Hobson's Choice

SFAR 88 fundamentally is about wiring aging, cracking, deteriorating insulation, and arcing. It is the ultimate scavenger hunt for ignition sources, with complex, perhaps convoluted rules and in certain respects subjective judging of the system safety analyses.

Operators who may feel burdened by SFAR 88 requirements have the alternative of inerting center wing tanks. The nitrogen-enriched air (NEA) system being developed by Boeing will not inert wing tanks, which are covered by the SFAR 88 regimen.

A Hobson's choice is involved. Fuel system wiring and electrical component requirements involve expense in the form of increased in-depth servicing, while NEA inerting involves a new system to support. Since airplanes with heat-generating air conditioning packs under their CWTs are particularly vulnerable, SFAR 88 requirements may sway operators in their choice of operating fleets and fleet replacement strategies. SFAR 88 requirements also may reduce the resale value of some aircraft types, while enhancing others. The whole effort tends to emphasize the absolute importance of failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) in the aircraft design stage.