The research has been dedicated to developing a virtual crashworthiness platform for large advanced aircraft structures when subjected to water ditching incidents. A numerical design tool, incorporating fluid-structure interaction analysis module, was created to assess damage tolerance in future aerospace design concepts to help with the prognosis of structural failure. To accomplish this, an experimental water impact set up was used to calibrate and validate the developed detailed virtual model. Specific data acquisition techniques implemented allowed for the capture of strain distribution and impact energy dissipation, used to validate the simulation platform.