A multi-body systems approach to simulate helicopter occupant protection systems

Vadlamudi, S.; Blundell, Mike; Zhang, Y.

doi:10.1080/13588265.2011.554203

Cited by 18 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Studies using crash test dummies have found that airbag restraints provide greater protection than standard restraints (Wright and Albery 2013 ). Airbags decrease pilot forward motion (Vadlamudi et al 2011 ) and can prevent impact with objects or the helicopter structure, reduce slack in restraints, and reduce head movement (Bolukbasi et al 2011 ; DOD 2009 ; Ford 1995 ). Cockpit airbag systems and belt retractors that position occupants appropriately prior to impact can reduce flailing (Bolukbasi et al 2011 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of fatal injuries in oil and gas industry-related helicopter accidents in the Gulf of Mexico, 2004–2014

et al. 2020

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Background Transportation events are the most common cause of offshore fatalities in the oil and gas industry, of which helicopter accidents comprise the majority. Little is known about injury distributions in civilian helicopter crashes, and knowledge of injury distributions could focus research and recommendations for enhanced injury prevention and post-crash survival. This study describes the distribution of injuries among fatalities in Gulf of Mexico oil and gas industry-related helicopter accidents, provides a detailed injury classification to identify potential areas of enhanced safety design, and describes relevant safety features for mitigation of common injuries. Methods Decedents of accidents during 2004–2014 were identified, and autopsy reports were requested from responsible jurisdictions. Documented injuries were coded using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), and frequency and proportion of injuries by AIS body region and severity were calculated. Injuries were categorized into detailed body regions to target areas for prevention. Results A total of 35 autopsies were coded, with 568 injuries documented. Of these, 23.4% were lower extremity, 22.0% were thorax, 13.6% were upper extremity, and 13.4% were face injuries. Minor injuries were most prevalent in the face, neck, upper and lower extremities, and abdomen. Serious or worse injuries were most prevalent in the thorax (53.6%), spine (50.0%), head (41.7%), and external/other regions (75.0%). The most frequent injuries by detailed body regions were thoracic organ (23.0%), thoracic skeletal (13.3%), abdominal organ (9.6%), and leg injuries (7.4%). Drowning occurred in 13 (37.1%) of victims, and drowning victims had a higher proportion of moderate brain injuries (7.8%) and lower number of documented injuries (3.8) compared with non-drowning victims (2.9 and 9.4%, respectively). Conclusions Knowledge of injury distributions focuses and prioritizes the need for additional safety features not routinely used in helicopters. The most frequent injuries occurred in the thorax and lower extremity regions. Future research requires improved and expanded data, including collection of detailed data to allow characterization of both injury mechanism and distribution. Improved safety systems including airbags and helmets should be implemented and evaluated for their impact on injuries and fatalities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of fatal injuries in oil and gas industry-related helicopter accidents in the Gulf of Mexico, 2004–2014

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Studies using crash test dummies have found that airbag restraints provide greater protection than standard restraints (Wright and Albery 2013). Airbags decrease pilot forward motion (Vadlamudi et al 2011) and can prevent impact with objects or the helicopter structure, reduce slack in restraints, and reduce head movement (Bolukbasi et al 2011;DOD 2009;Ford 1995). Cockpit airbag systems and belt retractors that position occupants appropriately prior to impact can reduce ailing (Bolukbasi et al 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Fatal Injuries in Oil and Gas Industry-Related Helicopter Accidents in the Gulf of Mexico, 2004–2014

Yeoman

O'Connor

Poplin

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Transportation events are the most common cause of offshore fatalities in the oil and gas industry, and helicopter accidents comprise the majority of transportation events. Little is known about injury distributions in civilian helicopter crashes, and helicopter passengers continue to die in crashes that are considered survivable. Knowledge of injury distributions could focus research and recommendations for injury prevention and post-crash survival. The objective of this study was to describe the distribution of injuries among fatalities in oil and gas industry-related helicopter accidents in the Gulf of Mexico. Methods: Pilots and passengers of accidents during 2004–2014 were identified from government records and media reports. Autopsy reports were requested from the responsible jurisdictions. Each documented injury was coded using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), and frequency and proportion of injuries by AIS body region and severity were calculated. Injuries were also categorized into more detailed body regions to identify focused areas of prevention and control. Results: Minor injuries were most prevalent in the face, neck, upper and lower extremities, and abdomen. Serious or worse injuries were most prevalent in the thorax, spine, head, and external/other regions. The most frequent injuries by detailed body regions were thoracic organ, thoracic skeletal, abdominal organ, and leg injuries. Drowning occurred in 37.1% of victims.Conclusions: The proportion of minor, moderate, and severe or worse injuries differed by body region, and the most frequent injuries occurred in the thorax and lower extremity regions.

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“…Studies using crash test dummies have found that airbag restraints provide greater protection than standard restraints (Wright and Albery 2013). Airbags decrease pilot forward motion (Vadlamudi et al 2011) and can prevent impact with objects or the helicopter structure, reduce slack in restraints, and reduce head movement (Bolukbasi et al 2011;DOD 2009;Ford 1995). Cockpit airbag systems and belt retractors that position occupants appropriately prior to impact can reduce ailing (Bolukbasi et al 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Fatal Injuries in Oil and Gas Industry-Related Helicopter Accidents in the Gulf of Mexico, 2004–2014

Yeoman

O'Connor

Sochor

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Transportation events are the most common cause of offshore fatalities in the oil and gas industry, of which helicopter accidents comprise the majority. Little is known about injury distributions in civilian helicopter crashes, and knowledge of injury distributions could focus research and recommendations for enhanced injury prevention and post-crash survival. This study describes the distribution of injuries among fatalities in Gulf of Mexico oil and gas industry-related helicopter accidents, provides a detailed injury classification to identify potential areas of enhanced safety design, and describes relevant safety features for mitigation of common injuries.Methods: Decedents of accidents during 2004–2014 were identified, and autopsy reports were requested from responsible jurisdictions. Documented injuries were coded using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), and frequency and proportion of injuries by AIS body region and severity were calculated. Injuries were categorized into detailed body regions to target areas for prevention.Results: A total of 35 autopsies were coded, with 568 injuries documented. Of these, 23.4% were lower extremity, 22.0% were thorax, 13.6% were upper extremity, and 13.4% were face injuries. Minor injuries were most prevalent in the face, neck, upper and lower extremities, and abdomen. Serious or worse injuries were most prevalent in the thorax (53.6%), spine (50.0%), head (41.7%), and external/other regions (75.0%). The most frequent injuries by detailed body regions were thoracic organ (23.0%), thoracic skeletal (13.3%), abdominal organ (9.6%), and leg injuries (7.4%). Drowning occurred in 13 (37.1%) of victims, and drowning victims had a higher proportion of moderate brain injuries (7.8%) and lower number of documented injuries (3.8) compared with non-drowning victims (2.9% and 9.4%, respectively).Conclusions: Knowledge of injury distributions focuses and prioritizes the need for additional safety features not routinely used in helicopters. The most frequent injuries occurred in the thorax and lower extremity regions. Future research requires improved and expanded data, including collection of detailed data to allow characterization of both injury mechanism and distribution. Improved safety systems including airbags and helmets should be implemented and evaluated for their impact on injuries and fatalities.

show abstract

A multi-body systems approach to simulate helicopter occupant protection systems

Cited by 18 publications

References 13 publications

Characterization of fatal injuries in oil and gas industry-related helicopter accidents in the Gulf of Mexico, 2004–2014

Characterization of fatal injuries in oil and gas industry-related helicopter accidents in the Gulf of Mexico, 2004–2014

Characterization of Fatal Injuries in Oil and Gas Industry-Related Helicopter Accidents in the Gulf of Mexico, 2004–2014

Characterization of Fatal Injuries in Oil and Gas Industry-Related Helicopter Accidents in the Gulf of Mexico, 2004–2014

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