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“RECOGNITION OF CONSTANTINE (GUS) SARKOS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E663-E664 on May 8, 2015.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNITION OF CONSTANTINE (GUS) SARKOS
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HON. FRANK A. LoBIONDO
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Friday, May 8, 2015
Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to honor Mr. Constantine (Gus) Sarkos. When it comes to fire safety aboard commercial aircraft, Gus Sarkos is the primary expert and a national treasure.
As head of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Fire Safety Branch, Sarkos and his team have played an essential and critical role improving cabin and cargo safety in ways that have decreased the risk of injuries to airline passengers and saved lives.
According to Dennis Filler, Director of the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center, ``Gus Sarkos does the science that becomes the fire safety standards adopted by the whole world.''
His work testing materials and measuring the effectiveness of fire detection and suppression systems has led to more than a dozen significant changes to U.S. and foreign aircraft during the past three decades to stop fires and curtail the spread of blazes occurring in-
flight or during crash landings, increasing the chances of passenger survival.
Most recently, Mr. Sarkos and his team have been examining and reporting on fire threats posed by lighter and potentially flammable materials now being used in airplanes, and by the combustibility of large quantities of lithium batteries that have been carried in cargo holds.
As a result of his team's work, the Department of Transportation
(DOT) no longer allows non-rechargeable metal lithium batteries to be shipped in the cargo holds of passenger jets. In addition, a number of U.S. airlines this year unilaterally announced they will no longer accept rechargeable ion lithium batteries because of tests done by Mr. Sarkos and his team showing that a buildup of gases inside bulk containers can lead to explosions and violent fires. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the U.S. DOT currently are considering proposals to ban bulk shipments of these rechargeable batteries or to require safer packaging rules for air transport.
Katherine Rooney, chief of ICAO's cargo safety section, said the work by Mr. Sarkos' group on the batteries and many other issues has been
``absolutely invaluable.'' She added that passengers are ``in a safer situation thanks to the research they have provided.''
During his long tenure, Mr. Sarkos has participated in and overseen the development of such post-crash aircraft fire safety improvements as new fire blocking seat cushions, heat resistant evacuation slides, burn-through resistant fuselage insulation, and interior panels that release less heat and smoke.
``The FAA's goal'', Mr. Sarkos said, ``is to minimize the likelihood of an aircraft fire in-flight or improve survivability during a post-
crash fire. If a fire occurs in-flight, the objective is to reliably detect, extinguish or suppress it until the aircraft can be safely landed. In the case of a post-crash fire,'' Sarkos said, ``the goal is to have materials that burn and spread fire more slowly, and releases less heat, so passengers have more time to escape.''
Director Filler noted how the work of Mr. Sarkos and his team came into play in 2013 when Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed and caught fire while landing in San Francisco. Three people died of injuries unrelated to the fire, while 304 survived the crash. He said the fire was slow in developing in large part because of the fire resistant material in the aircraft, and as a result, people had the time to evacuate.
Director Filler also cited a 2008 accident when a Continental 737 veered off the runway in Denver, skidded into a ravine, lost its landing gear and left engine, and caught fire. All 110 passengers and five crew members had time to evacuate. In 2005, an Air France A340 landed in Toronto during a severe thunderstorm, skidded off the runway and erupted into flames. While the fire eventually gutted the aircraft, all 297 passengers and 12 crew members survived.
``These are examples of three aircraft that caught fire and 728 people survived largely because of the work that Gus and his team have been able to promote throughout the industry,'' said Filler. ``His efforts have provided added time for passengers to evacuate. In the old days, materials would have burned faster or caused passengers to inhale toxic fumes, and they would have died in the aircraft.''
Mr. Sarkos said his work is challenging, but a source of pride because it has resulted in increased safety.
``The worst thing I ever had to do was meet with relatives of accident victims,'' said Mr. Sarkos. ``I am glad that in recent years that conditions have improved because of the work we have done and continue to do.''
I want to publicly commend Gus for being named a finalist to receive the Service to America Medal a.k.a. ``Sammies''. Gus' vision, leadership, and dedication to saving lives is a testament to his invaluable public service.
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