| Title | Survival of high-velocity free-falls in water. |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 38910 |
| Personal Name Creator |
Snyder, Richard G. |
| Corporate Creator | Civil Aeromedical Research Institute |
| Publisher | Civil Aerospace Medical Institute |
| Publication Date | 19650400 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | Forty-four cases of free-falls survived by individuals impacting water environments under conditions of high velocity (50 to 116 ft/sec, corrected for aerodynamic drag) have been intensively investigated and analyzed. Ages varied from 7 to 80 years and the study included 34 males and 10 females. The falls occurred in 17 states, mainly over a 3-year period, and included all known survivals of water impact at over 50 ft/sec. It was found that the most survivable body orientation, by a factor of five to seven, is a feet-first impact in which critical velocity for human survival was approximately 100 ft/ sec. No correlation of velocity with degree of injury was found, although distinct patterns of injury were shown. Factors believed to influence human survival tolerances are discussed. |
| Rosap ID | dot:20740 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/20740 |
| TRT Terms | Flight; Crash landing; Turbulence; VTOL aircraft; Human factors; Set forward force; Force; Physiological tolerance; Survival; Free fall; Velocity; Water; Bridges; Drag forces; Injuries; Internal injuries; Bone fractures; Skin injuries; Weather conditions; Alcohol use; Drug use; Time duration; Etiology; Gender; Age; Case studies |
| General Subjects | Aeronautics--Human factors; Flight--Physiological aspects; Aircraft accidents; Turbulence; Vertically rising aircraft; Speed; Force and energy; Survival; Falls (Accidents)--Case studies; Water; Bridges; Organs (Anatomy)--Wounds and injuries; Skin--Wounds and injuries; Fractures; Weather; Drinking of alcoholic beverages; Alcoholism; Drug abuse; Sex; Age |
| Classification | NTL - AVIATION - AVIATION; NTL - AVIATION - Aviation Human Factors; NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Aviation Safety/Airworthiness; NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Human Factors |
| Geographical Coverage |
United States |
| Report Number | AM 65-12; DOT/FAA/AM-65/12 |
| Resource type | Tech Report |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/38000/38900/38910/AM65-12.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |