Evaluation of Crashworthiness Test Data

Increased concern regarding occupant protection for aircraft crashes has expanded efforts toward development of crashworthy aircraft systems. The purpose of a crashworthy seat, restraint, or interior design is to reduce the probability and severity of injury to the occupant during a crash. In order to evaluate the performance of those systems before they are placed into production, the designer should consider the value of proper dynamic testing. The results of dynamic test should indicate the likelihood of injury to the aircraft occupant. However, test results can be greatly influenced by test techniques. This paper presents current approaches to evaluating dynamic test results in terms of likelihood of injury to the human occupant, discusses the limitations and background of those approaches, and presents technical considerations for selection and use of anthropomorphic dummies, test conduct, etc.