FAA CRASHWORTHINESS RESEARCH PROGRAM

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FAA CRASHWORTHINESS RESEARCH PROGRAM

• RPD MANAGER GARY FRINGS
• INTERNATIONAL AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY
  RESEARCH CONFERENCE
• NOVEMBER 17, 1998
• HARRAHS CASINO HOTEL
  ATLANTIC CITY, NJ, USA

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CRASHWORTHINESS PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

• USE A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO CRASHWORTHINESS WHICH
  WILL REDUCE OR PREVENT OCCUPANT
  INJURIES/FATALITIES IN A SEVERE BUT SURVIVABLE
  CRASH IMPACT ENVIRONMENT

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CRASHWORTHINESS PROGRAM BACKGROUND

• 1960S US ARMY RESEARCH
• TWO DECADES OF FAA SUCCESS
• INCORPORATE CRASHWORTHINESS IMPROVEMENTS DURING
  DESIGN STAGE
• CONCENTRATE ON THREE PRIMARY AREAS
• SEAT/RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
• FUEL CONTAINMENT
• CABIN DELETHALIZATION

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SIX RESEARCH AREAS

• CABIN INTERIORS
• FUEL SYSTEMS
• CRASH ENVIRONMENT
• AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES
• OCCUPANT PROTECTION
• ANALYTICAL MODELING

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CABIN INTERIORS OBJECTIVE

• MINIMIZE OR ELIMINATE INJURIES/FATALITIES CAUSED
  BY INSERVICE INTERIOR CABIN FIXTURES DURING A
  SEVERE BUT SURVIVABLE CRASH - - - BY QUANTIFYING
  THE REACTION OF THE FIXTURES (OVERHEAD STOWAGE
  BINS, SEATS, GALLEYS, ETC.)

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CABIN INTERIOR PROJECTS

• TRANSPORT AIRPLANES
• FUSELAGE SECTION HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL IMPACT
  TESTS EQUIPPED WITH OVERHEAD STOWAGE BINS
  
  (PART OF
  INTERNATIOINAL CABIN SAFETY PROGRAM)

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Vertical Drop TestNarrow body Fuselage Section
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FUEL SYSTEMS OBJECTIVE

• REDUCE TO ZERO THE NUMBER OF POST-CRASH FIRES
  CAUSED BY FUEL SYSTEMS FOR SURVIVABLE CRASHES

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FUEL SYSTEMS PROJECTS

• TRANSPORT AIRPLANES
• FUSELAGE SECTION HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL IMPACT
  TESTS EQUIPPED WITH AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS
• CRASH RESISTENT FUEL SYSTEM STUDY
• FUEL CONTAINMENT CONCEPTS
• ROTOCRAFT
• UPDATE OF THE CRASH RESISTANT FUEL SYSTEM PORTION
  OF ADVISORY CIRCULAR 29-2B

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Longitudinal Acceleration TestB737 Fuselage
Section
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CRASH ENVIRONMENT OBJECTIVE

• DEFINE THE ENVIRONMENTS FOR SEVERE BUT SURVIVABLE
  CRASHES FOR VARIOUS AIRCRAFT TYPES

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CRASH ENVIRONMENT PROJECTS

• TRANSPORT AIRPLANES
• AIRCRAFT DITCHING RESEARCH
• EVALUATE CURRENT DYNAMIC TEST STANDARDS
• COMBI AIRPLANES
  CONSIDERING CURRENT
  DESIGN STANDARDS AND NEED FOR REVISION
• DIGITAL CAMERA CRASH RECORDER

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CRASH ENVIRONMENT PROJECTS (CONT)

• ROTORCRAFT
• FAA/U.S. NAVY ROTORCRAFT DITCHING RESEARCH
• MEDEVAC HELICOPTER CRASHWORTHINESS REQUIREMENTS
• ROTORCRAFT ROLLOVER STUDY

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CRASH ENVIRONMENT PROJECTS (CONT)

• SMALL AIRPLANES
• CONDUCT COMMUTER/AIR TAXI DITCHING RESEARCH
• REVIEW COMMUTER/AIR TAXI AIRPLANE DITCHING AND
  DESIGN STANDARDS
• REVIEW FULL SCALE AIRPLANE IMPACT TESTS
• GENERIC
• SIZE EFFECT EVALUATION OF AIRCRAFT IMPACT
  RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS

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AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES OBJECTIVE

• DEFINE THE CRASH LOADS AND FUSELAGE RESPONSE FOR
  VARIOUS AIRCRAFT

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AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES PROJECTS

• SMALL AIRPLANES
• FAA TECHNICAL CENTER COMMUTER DROP TESTS
• SHORTS 330
• BEECHCRAFT 1900C
• METRO III
• NASA/FAA CRASH DYNAMICS INTERFACE
• LEARFAN 2100 COMPONENTS
• ROTORCRAFT
• ENERGY ABSORBING SUBSTRUCTURES
• INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT WITH US ARMY (FT. EUSTIS)
• GENERIC
• UNIQUE STRUCTURES

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Vertical Drop TestShorts 330 Regional Transport
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Vertical Drop TestBeechcraft 1900C Airliner
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Vertical Drop TestMetro III Airliner
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OCCUPANT PROTECTION OBJECTIVE

• RESEARCH AND DEVELOP NEW AND UNIQUE OCCUPANT
  PROTECTION METHODOLOGIES

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OCCUPANT PROTECTION PROJECTS

• GENERIC ISSUES
• FAA/WSU HEAD INJURY CRITERIA (HIC) RESEARCH
• ADDITIONAL/REVISED OCCUPANT INJURY CRITERIA
• ENERGY ABSORBING SEAT CUSHION DESIGN
• ROTORCRAFT
• FAA/US ARMY COCKPIT AIRBAGS PROGRAM(CABS)
• SMALL AIRPLANES
• TECHNICAL CENTER/CAMI SIDE FACING SEAT RESEARCH
• OCCUPANT PROTECTION SYSTEMS RESEARCH

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ANALYTICAL MODELING OBJECTIVE

• IMPLEMENT ANALYTICAL CRASH MODELING AND AIRCRAFT
  ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION MODELING METHODOLOGIES

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ANALYTICAL MODELING PROJECTS

• FAA/US ARMY ANALYTICAL MODELING RESEARCH
  INTERFACE
• FAA/CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY
• AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TOOL (AAIT)
• BEECHCRAFT 1900C MODEL
• B737 FUSELAGE SECTION MODEL
• SHORTS 330 MODEL
• FAA/US NAVY WATER IMPACT MODELING AND VALIDATION
• DYNAMIC SEAT CERTIFICATION UTILIZING ANALYTICAL
  MODELING

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ACCOMPLISHMENT HIGHLIGHTS

• QUANTIFIED LOADS AND FORCES FOR VARIOUS AIRCRAFT
  AND OCCUPANTS SUBJECTED TO SEVERE BUT SURVIVABLE
  CRASHES
• IMPROVED O/H STOWAGE BIN ATTACHMENTS FOR
  B737/B757
• PUBLISHED REPORTS ON TRANSPORT AND COMMUTER
  AIRPLANE DITCHING AND ROTORCRAFT FLOTATION
• VALIDATING AUXILIARY FUEL TANK MOUNTING
  METHODOLOGIES
• DEVELOPMENT OF AAIT

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