• P Kuronen, R Pääkkönen, and S Savolainen.
• Finnish Air Force Headquarters, Tikkakoski.
• Aviat Space Envir Md. 1999 Jul 1; 70 (7): 650-5.

Background And ObjectiveMuch data are available on noise properties which cause hearing loss. There are not, however, reports on the effects of low-altitude overflight noise on the permanent threshold shift (PTS).MethodsLow-altitude overflight noise generated by the Finnish Air Force's jet fighters and an advanced jet trainer was measured with flight distances varying from 50-310 m from the measurement point. The aircraft were always subsonic, velocities being usually 0.9 Mach or less. The measurements were undertaken because of two claims for the compensation of hearing loss caused by overflights of jet fighters on cross-country training missions.ResultsPeak noise levels (LCpeak) varied from 109-150 dB depending on aircraft type and the use of afterburner. The 1-s single A-weighted exposure levels (ASEL) during these overflights were 95-135 dB which correspond to daily (8 h) exposure levels of 50-90 dB.ConclusionsAccording to these results and the principles of noise evaluation, there should be no risk of permanent hearing loss when the distance to an overflying jet fighter is more than 200 m. However, we have received two claims, and the audiometric analyses of two subjects who had suffered hearing loss in one ear in Finland during the 1990s may indicate that there is very likely a connection between the incidents and the hearing losses.

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