Aerospace Medicine Technical Reports
FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-66/12
Title and Subtitle: Injury potentials of light-aircraft instrument panels.
Report Date: April 1966
Authors: Swearingen JJ.
Abstract: Results of head-impact tests against typical light-aircraft instrument panels to determine their g time-force parameters during deformation of structure are presented for three different velocities of impact. Evaluations of the energy attenuator recently added by one aircraft company to its aircraft instrument panel as well as other nonprotected panels are presented. Injury potentials of these impacts are determined based on recently established data of tolerances of the living human head to impact.
According to this study, head impacts as low as 15 ft/sec against the rigid angular instrument panels studded with heavy instruments certainly would be fatal. The light cylinder of aluminum added by the one company will give adequate protection to head impacts up to 25 ft/sec. Protection could be afforded up to 40-ft/sec head impacts, however, by increasing the strength of the aluminum cylinder at a sacrifice in higher but not injurious head-impact loads.
Key Words: instrument panels, aviation injuries, head(anatomy), aircraft, impact shock, tolerances (physiology), aviation safety, human factors engineering, protective coverings.
No. of Pages: 6
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-66/12
Title and Subtitle: Injury potentials of light-aircraft instrument panels.
Report Date: April 1966
Authors: Swearingen JJ.
Abstract: Results of head-impact tests against typical light-aircraft instrument panels to determine their g time-force parameters during deformation of structure are presented for three different velocities of impact. Evaluations of the energy attenuator recently added by one aircraft company to its aircraft instrument panel as well as other nonprotected panels are presented. Injury potentials of these impacts are determined based on recently established data of tolerances of the living human head to impact.
According to this study, head impacts as low as 15 ft/sec against the rigid angular instrument panels studded with heavy instruments certainly would be fatal. The light cylinder of aluminum added by the one company will give adequate protection to head impacts up to 25 ft/sec. Protection could be afforded up to 40-ft/sec head impacts, however, by increasing the strength of the aluminum cylinder at a sacrifice in higher but not injurious head-impact loads.
Key Words: instrument panels, aviation injuries, head(anatomy), aircraft, impact shock, tolerances (physiology), aviation safety, human factors engineering, protective coverings.
No. of Pages: 6
Last updated: Friday, June 1, 2012