FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-62/19

Title and Subtitle: A case of survival of extreme vertical impact in seated position

Report Date: October 1962

Authors: Snyder RG

Abstract: Physical, biophysical, and medical data are presented concerning the case of a 20-year-old male of excellent physical condition who jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, surviving for ten days a free-fall deceleration in the seated position (buttocks to head) of a calculated 4128 g for .0023 seconds. Specific trauma resulting from this impact indicates that this may closely approach the extreme human survival tolerance(s) to impact in this position, and that, while distribution of forces through support of the upper torso may greatly minimize injury to the skeletal system, protection of internal organs will present a much more difficult problem.

Key Words: deceleration, acceleration, free fall, crash injury, G forces, impact trauma

No. of Pages: 19