NOISE IN AVIATION

Terminal Learning Objective

• Manage the effects of noise in aviation

• While performing as an air crewmember

 Sound

• Produced when an object or surface

vibrates rapidly
• Transmitted through any elastic
substance such as air, water, or bone.
• Density of the substance determines
the speed at which the sound and
pressure waves will travel.
Sound

Air is a springy, elastic

substance composed of small
particles called molecules.
Perception of Sound
Otolith Organs

Ossicles
Cochlea
Auditory
Nerve

Ear Drum
Middle Ear
External Ear
Eustachian Tube

Opening to Throat
 Receptors of Sound

• Detect fluid movement in the cochlea

• Transmit electrical impulses to the brain
where sound is interpreted
 Damaged Hair Cells

Damaged hair cells in the various bundles means loss of

sound perception
 Long Term Hair Cells Damage

Prolonged, unprotected exposure to noise could cause

irreversible damage.
 Noise

Sound that is loud

Unpleasant Unwanted
 Effects of Noise

• Non-auditory effects
Annoyance
Fatigue
• Speech interference
• Hearing loss
Noise Measurement
 Frequency

• Gives sound the quality of pitch

• Number of times per second the air
pressure oscillates
• CPS = Hertz ( Hz )
Human Hearing Range

20 To 20,000 Hz
Human Speech Range

200 TO 6,800 Hz

Speech intelligibility
300 to 3,000 Hz
 Intensity

• A measure that correlates sound pressure to loudness

• Measured in Decibels (dB)
 Decibel (dB) Levels

• 0 dB - Threshold of hearing
• 65 dB - Average human conversation
• 85 dB - Damage-risk noise limit
• 120 dB - Threshold for discomfort
• 140 dB - Threshold of pain
• 160 dB - Ear drum rupture
 Sound Pressure

140 dB 2000 - 10,000,000

120 dB 200 - 1,000,000
100 dB 20 - 100,000
80 dB 2 - 10,000
60 dB .2 - 1000
40 dB .02 - 100
20 dB .002 - 10
0 dB .0002 - 1

• Sound pressure increases with more intense noise

• 20 dB increase equals pressure increase of 10 times
 Duration

How Long You Are Exposed to Its Levels

 Steady Noise

• Continuous noise at high intensity

• Produces a wide range of frequencies

 Steady Noise

• Type of noise encountered in Army aviation

• Originates from engines, drive shafts,

transmissions, rotors and propellers
 Impulse Noise
• Characterized by explosive noise
• High intensity peak and falls off rapidly
• Measured in milliseconds with less than 1
second in duration
Impulse Noise

140 dB's
 Damage Risk Criteria

NOTE: The Surgeon General has

established 85 decibels as the maximum level of
continuous unprotected exposure to steady-
state noise for 8 hours.
 Noise Exposure Criteria
Maximum Exposure Exposure Level
Per Day (hr) (dB)
8 85
6 87
4 90
3 92
2 95
1½ 97
1 100
½ 105
 WARNING !!!

Unprotected Exposure to Noise Levels in Excess of

85 dB Can Result in Temporary or Permanent
Hearing Loss

Must Use Hearing Protection!

Types of Hearing Loss

Conductive

Presbycusis

Sensorineural
 Conductive Hearing Loss

• Defect or impediment in the external or middle ear

• Could impede the mechanical transmission of sound

to the inner ear
 Presbycusis

• Associated with aging

• Cells are less resilient as age increases
• Can be conductive or sensorineural or both
 Sensorineural Loss
• When cochlea is damaged

• Most frequently produced by noise

• Occurs in the higher frequencies first

• Could be associated with aging

 Sensorineural Loss

• Acoustic trauma greater than 140 dB

• Shorter exposure time (<0.2 sec)
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
(NIHL)

• Temporary threshold shift

• Permanent threshold shift

 Temporary Threshold Shift
(TTS)
• Single exposure to high level noise
• May last for few minutes / hours
• Depends upon frequency, intensity, and
duration of the noise
• Recovery when noise is removed, usually
complete
Permanent Threshold Shift (PTS)

• If continued for 15 hours, eventually

permanent loss is induced
• No recovery when exposure is
terminated
• TTS’s could become permanent (cannot
be predicted)
 Danger Signals

• Prolonged ringing after exposure

• Interference with normal conversation

• “Mumbling” friends

*Please Wear Ear Protectors*

Characteristics of Noise Induced
Hearing Loss

• Insidious and undetectable

• Noise intensity below 140dB but above 85dB
• Physical pain not evident
• Initially higher frequencies affected (3000 to
6000 Hz)
_ U_N _IG_T _EA_I_G O_E
_IX _E_O
TURN RIGHT, HEADING ONE SIX
ZERO
 Individual Factors
• Training & memory
• Susceptibility to fatigue
• Social, motivational & personality factors
• Sensory perceptual & intellectual
capabilities
 Audiograms

• Used to determine hearing loss

• Your first audiogram is a reference
• Considered normal if hearing thresholds
are 25 dB or less for all frequencies
tested
Audiometric Hearing Levels

Frequency Tested Hearing Threshold

( Hz ) ( dB )
500 25 / 25
1000 25 / 25
2000 25 / 25
3000 35 / 35
4000 45 / 55
6000 45 / 65
* Class 1 * Class 2, 3, 4
* Only Physicians May Diagnose Hearing Loss
 Hearing Conservation Data
Ideal Audiometry
Left Right
500 1000 2000 3000 4000 6000 500 1000 2000 3000 4000 6000
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

Progressive Hearing Loss

500 1000 2000 3000 4000 6000 500 1000 2000 3000 4000 6000
10 05 25 60 85 100 10 05 55 75 90 95
5M 0M 5M 55M 75M 90M 10M 5M 10M 70M 100M 90M

Hearing loss of this magnitude could disqualify an air

crewmember from flight duties
Audiogram Irregularities

• HEARS can detect

audiogram
irregularities

• Will show up on the

audiogram
 Noise in Aircrafts
(General Findings)

• Overall noise levels are equal to or

exceed 100 dB’s
• Most intense noise below 300 Hz
• Low frequency noise will produce high
frequency hearing loss

Must Use Hearing Protection

FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT NOISE
 Noise in Fixed-Wing Aircraft

• Engines and propellers in close proximity to

the cockpit
• Other fixed-wing aircraft are better insulated to
attenuate noise levels
 Army Fixed-Wing Noise Levels

Frequency
Aircraft 1000 1250 1600 2000 3150 4000 5000 8000 dB

C-12 66 61 61 58 56 54 50 44 106

* Climb, 1900 RPM, 2000 MSL

Heavy-Lift Aircraft Noise

Aircraft Maximum Pilot-Cruise

C-5A 107 dB 85 dB
C-141 94 dB 84 dB
C-130 95 dB 84 dB

Wear Hearing Protection !

 Noise Protection

• Design
Silent operation
Noise suppression
• Isolate-distance
• Enclose
• Personal protective measures
Rotary-Wing Aircraft Noise
 Rotary-Wing Aircraft Noise

• Noise levels equal or exceed 100 dB

• Originates from engines, rotor systems
and transmissions
• Observation helicopters
• Attack helicopters
• Utility and cargo helicopters
Rotary-Wing Aircraft Noise Levels

Aircraft 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 dB

UH-1 106 101 101 98 89 86 83 102

AH-1 104 98 93 95 89 81 73 105

OH-58C 105 98 94 90 88 83 65 103

OH-58D 102 94 91 88 86 78 70 100

 Rotary-Wing Aircraft Noise Levels

Aircraft 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 dB

UH-60A 114 110 106 101 97 92 94 108

CH-47D 106 103 97 97 100 109 105 112

EC-130 102 94 91 88 86 78 70 84.3

* “ NA ” indicates incoming new data or data not available

Noise During Air Load Operations

• Crew members are exposed to noise levels that exceed 100 dB

NOTE: Must Wear Hearing Protection !

 Ear Plugs

• Foam, single flange, and triple flange

• Inexpensive , easy to carry
• Attenuation 18 to 45 dB across frequency
band, if worn properly
• Effective when worn with SPH-4,SPH-4B,
HGU-56, and IHU / IHADSS flight helmets
 Ear Muffs

• 10 to 41 dB attenuation across the frequency

band
• Comfortable to wear
• Ground personnel can lose their hearing too
 Headsets

• Hearing protection as well as radio communication

• Attenuation could decrease due to damaged ear seals
• Commonly worn on VIP aircrafts
 Protective Helmets
(Characteristics)

• Provide both crash and noise attenuation

• Great protection higher frequencies, however, low
frequencies is the concern in the aviation
environment
 Protective Helmets
Guidelines

• Must fit properly, worn correctly

• Ear cups must be soft, unwrinkled, and tear free
• Noise attenuation will bring the noise exposure within
the confines of damage risk criteria for every aircraft
Except UH-60 and CH-47
SPH- 4B SPH-4
HGU-56 IHU/IHADSS
Effective Exposure Levels
Protective Helmets / Headsets

Aircraft Hearing Protector EEL

AH-1S HGU-56 77.0
SPH-4B 77.4
SPH-4 83.2
UH-1H HGU-56 81.3
SPH-4B 81.0
SPH-4 85.9
OH-58D HGU-56 81.6
SPH-4B 81.5
SPH-4 86.3
Effective Exposure Levels
Protective Helmets / Headsets (cont.)

Aircraft Hearing Protector EEL dB

OH-58C HGU-56 76.9
SPH-4B 76.8
SPH-4 81.4
UH-60A HGU-56 90.6
SPH-4B 90.6
SPH-4 95.1
CH-47D HGU-56 86.8
SPH-4B 88.0
SPH-4 93.4
Effective Exposure Levels
Protective Helmets / Headsets

Aircraft Hearing Protector EEL dB

AH-64 IHADSS (REG) 80.2
IHADSS (XL) 83.5
C-12 H-157 Headsets 70.5
 Protective Helmets and Ear Plugs

If worn in combination, will provide additional protection

from, All Aircraft Noise in the Army Inventory
Protective Helmets and Ear Plugs

Protector UH-60A CH-47D AH-1S OH-58 UH-1H

120 kn 100 kn 100 kn 100 kn 100 kn
SPH-4 w/ 72.6 77.5 70.2 65.7 70.7
triple flange

SPH-4 w/ 75.3 78.4 71.5 67.4 71.9

single flange

SPH-4 w/ 70.4 77.3 68.8 63.5 68.8

foam
 Warning
Hazardous
Noise Level
Personnel Working
In This Area Must
Wear Ear Protection
 New Hearing Protection

Active Noise Reduction Communication Ear Plug

( ANR) ( CEP)
Non-Occupational Noise Exposure

• General aviation flying

• Weapons firing
• Contemporary music
• Hobbies & recreation
• Household chores
Non-Occupational Noise Exposure
Levels

• Single engine aircraft 90 dB

• Shotgun 130 dB
• Bartending 95 - 110 dB
• Music at the club 130 dB
• Lawn mowers 95 -100 dB
• Vacuum cleaners 95 - 100 dB
THANK YOU !