FAA Structural Crash Dynamics Program Update-Transport Category Aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with its industry contractors, have progressed toward a mutual goal of improving structural crash dynamics analytical methodologies for transport airplanes. The objectives, results, and initial findings of many of the research program tasks, such as the transport airplane fuselage section drop tests, the complete narrow-body airplane drop test, and the Controlled Impact Demonstration (CID), are presented. The manner in which these tests are integrated into analytical modeling methodology and their relationship to the development of improved structural crash dynamic design criteria are addressed.