The Design of Crashworthy General Aviation Aircraft

An analysis of general aviation accident statistics for the years 1964-1967 has been made for the purpose of identifying specific aircraft or aircraft features which have proved in service to be effective in reducing crash fatalities. The results indicate that none of the current general aviation aircraft will serve as a suitable model for the design of future crashworthy aircraft. Furthermore, the value of certain design features recommended in the crash safety literature is not confirmed by the statistics.

Recommendations are made for further analysis of accident statistics as well as for programs of research and demonstration in the field of crashworthy design.