By: Amanda Taylor
Biomedical Research Engineer
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Date: April 2021
Federal AviationAdministrationCAMI Vertical
ResearchNASA / FAA eVTOL Crashworthiness Workshop Series
CAMI Rotorcraft Research2April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
CAMI Vertical Research Projects• Two Crashworthiness
Projects– Occupant Protection for
Legacy Rotorcraft– Rotorcraft Injury
Mechanism Analysis
CAMI Rotorcraft Research3April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
eVTOL vs Legacy RotorcraftExterior
Verticalmag.com
CAMI Rotorcraft Research4April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
eVTOL vs Legacy Rotorcraft
Seats and Restraints
Safran custom interior for Uber elevate
The MOBi-One interior ASX
Verticalmag corporate interior
Airbus helicopter
CAMI Rotorcraft Research5April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Occupant Protection for Legacy RotorcraftFor the Robinson R-22, R-44, the Airbus AS350, the Bell 206, and the Sikorsky S-76
– Determined baseline geometry, restraint system strength, and attachment strength
– Determined baseline seat mounting configurations
– Identified seat features that can attenuate vertical energy
– Determined the availability of existingcrash safety enhancing features
Robinson
Airbus
Bell
Verticalmag.com
CAMI Rotorcraft Research6April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Occupant Protection for Legacy Rotorcraft• Run a rigid seat test series using the Reusable Energy Absorbing Lab Seat
(REAL) Seat developed by the Department of the Navy• Testing to start fall 2021
REAL seat
CAMI Rotorcraft Research7April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Occupant Protection for Legacy Rotorcraft• Pulses are a combination
of the part 27/29 pulses and recommended pulses from the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) Rotorcraft Occupant Protection Working Group (ROPWG)
CAMI Rotorcraft Research8April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Occupant Protection for Legacy Rotorcraft• Full Scale testing at NASA Langley• Compare energy attenuating
certificated seats on a vertical test bed and a full vehicle
• Work to begin Fall 2021• eVTOL vehicles
CAMI Rotorcraft Research9April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis
Task 1 – Identify a means to gather pertinent crash and injury information
to be collected for processing
CAMI Rotorcraft Research10April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis• Task 2 - Demonstrate the procedures developed
in Task 1 by gathering and processing data from a selected sample of rotorcraft types and accidents
• Task 3 – Validate the procedures to use the gathered information for injury mechanism analysis, by assembling a review panel, to determine injury mechanism, that will include physicians and other accident investigation specialists
CAMI Rotorcraft Research11April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis• Two Case Studies
– Non Crashworthy Aircraft AS350 B2
– Fully Crashworthy Aircraft AW109S
CAMI Rotorcraft Research12April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study• Airbus AS350 B2• N919EM• Part 135 helicopter
air ambulance flight
• March 12, 2015
CAMI Rotorcraft Research13April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study• Eufala, OK• CEN15FA171• 3 Occupants
– 1 Fatality– 2 Serious
• Combined impact conditions
CAMI Rotorcraft Research14April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
CAMI Rotorcraft Research15April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case StudyPatient Litter - Ejected
CAMI Rotorcraft Research16April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case StudyAft Flight Nurse Seat
CAMI Rotorcraft Research17April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study• Pilot Seat• Ejected
CAMI Rotorcraft Research18April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study• Asymmetrical stroking
CAMI Rotorcraft Research19April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
• This seat has parts that bend and fracture to absorb energy
CAMI Rotorcraft Research20April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study• Pilot floor Seat track
• Bottom of pilot seat
CAMI Rotorcraft Research21April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
• Agusta A109S • N11NM• Part 135 helicopter air
ambulance flight• June 28, 2019
CAMI Rotorcraft Research22April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
• Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport, MN
• CEN19FA185• Mostly vertical impact
conditions
CAMI Rotorcraft Research23April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
• 3 Occupants• 2 Fatalities
– Pilot and Aft flight nurse
CAMI Rotorcraft Research24April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
• All Seats had a rotary buckle four-point harness
• Buckle manufactured by Schroth
• Belt manufactured by BAE System Safety Products
CAMI Rotorcraft Research25April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
Pilot seat measurements
CAMI Rotorcraft Research26April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
Front left passenger seat measurements
CAMI Rotorcraft Research27April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
Left Side Cabin Structure
Patient Litter (unoccupied)
CAMI Rotorcraft Research28April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
Aft Facing passenger seat, unoccupied
CAMI Rotorcraft Research29April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case Study
Fwd Facing Flight Nurse Seat
Front View
Overhead View
CAMI Rotorcraft Research30April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
Injury Mechanism Analysis- Case StudyRight Side Cabin Structure Exemplar
CAMI Rotorcraft Research31April 2021
Federal AviationAdministration
CAMI Vertical Research Projects Summary• Occupant Protection for Legacy Rotorcraft
– Define the baseline strength in the flying fleet of rotorcraft, recommend incremental improvements to make them safer
– Inform designers utilizing similar seat and restraint technology for UAM eVTOL aircraft about current and proposed systems
• Rotorcraft Injury Mechanism Analysis– Increase the understanding of injuries in rotorcraft accidents
by increasing the documentation of these accidents– Inform potential injury risks for new UAM eVTOL aircraft