Demonstration of Aviation Mishap Reconstruction with On-Board Crash Recording Technologies

Current approaches to specifying requirements for crash safety-related products rely on impact characteristics determined from studies conducted during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, crash investigation techniques rely on methods in which mishap conditions are estimated based upon limited post-crash evidence. In order to address a current knowledge gap, crash recorders were examined for their ability to provide improved aircraft mishap data and to aid in mishap reconstruction. Dynamic testing on the Horizontal Accelerator at NAWCAD, Patuxent River, MD was conducted in order to investigate and ultimately demonstrate the ability of commercialized crash recorder technology to provide data that would greatly aid in aviation mishap investigation and reconstruction. Data collected by the crash recorders was used to create time-history sequences for tri-axial acceleration, estimated velocity, estimated recorder displacement, and estimated rotation. Ultimately, fielding such a system will improve the clarity and fidelity of crash investigations, as well as lead to better understanding of the often unpredictable modern aviation mishap environment.