Evaluation of Occupant Injury Risk in a Transport Aircraft Crash Test Environment

Researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) previously conducted a full-scale crash test of a Fokker F28 MK1000 aircraft to study occupant injury risks. The goal of the current study was to investigate the injury predictions of the Global Human Body Models Consortium (GHBMC) and Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) occupant models in the tested aircraft crash condition and explore possible utilization of both human body models (HBMs) in this context. Eight crash conditions were simulated utilizing each of the models. The HBMs were positioned in two postures, a neutral upright posture with hands resting on the legs and feet contacting the floor and a braced posture with head and hand contact with the forward seat back. Head and neck injury metrics and lumbar vertebra axial force were calculated and compared for all simulations. Both HBMs reported similar kinematic responses in the simulated impact conditions. However, the GHBMC model reported higher forces and injury risks in almost all scenarios. The HBMs were compared to previously modeled anthropomorphic test device (ATD) response. The HBMs showed higher loading than the modeled ATDs in two out of eight impact conditions. Relative to the THUMS model, the GHBMC model had included more virtual instrumentation and produced injury metric values, which encompassed that of the THUMS model. The THUMS model has additional value in being a free access model. Both models provided valuable insight into the potential response of the human body within the simulated aerospace crash environment.