Would composite fuselage have broken up in London crash?

Question

Last week, a B-777 crash-landed at London's Heathrow airport. Apparently, the fuel controls were not responding to the engines and the engines did not respond to the throttles. This is one case where, despite engineers best efforts, and obvious problem occurred. Recently, former NASA and Boeing Sr. Engineer Vince Weldon raised concerns about the 787's composite fuselage. One of his concerns was this very scenario: a plane crash-lands, skids across obstacles like runway lights or antennae.

His point was that a metal fuselage provides protection to some degree, as it bends and dents but largely stays intact, providing the people inside protection from not only the obstacles but any smoke that might otherwise come inside. A composite fuselage might instead shatter, allowing fumes and smoke to enter the cabin and worried that toxic fumes from scorched epoxy from the exterior surface might also enter the cabin.

Would this outcome be the same on a 787 had there been smoke or fumes?

Answer 1

Boeing engineers have reviewed this scenario on many occasions, and I'll bet that composite strength is by far superior to metal in these cases where accidents have occurred and the outcome was equal to or better that similar stressed aluminum.

Everyone has the notion that composite material shatters like fiberglass, it does not, and can absorb impact forces quite well and has proven to distribute shock throughout the entire structure. I've seen this up close and the results are quite convincing..

Answer 2

the carbon fiber composite the 787 is made of is stronger then steel, lighter and more durable then aluminum, so the same result would happen, if not it would of held up better. Its not fiberglass, its not going to shatter.

Answer 3

No.

Answer 4

I have seen a number of accident aircraft (both military and airline) that all had aluminum skins. While the metal does bend, it also tears very easily which is why fuel escapes so quickly from the wings. Most of the deadly fumes are from either burning fuel, or interior materials used in making the various interior parts. Composites don't shatter, like a glass droped on the floor, but separates or delaminates along stress damage lines. In a full blown crash fire, I don't think it would make much difference if the fuselage were metal or composite, the fire would effectively destroy either one.