Crash Injury Bulletin. Part I. Attachment of Seat Belts in the HU-1A Helicopter. Part II. Stowage of Equipment under Troop Seats

摘要

The correct and the incorrect manner of attaching the safety belts in the HU-1A helicopter are discussed. To fully utilize the skeletal strength of the human body, the seat belt should pass across the hips at approximately 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the airplane. When restrained by a seat belt only, which is common in the cabin area, the occupant's body will flex over the seat belt during a forward deceleration. If this flexing of the body occurs at the lumbo-sacral joint, the strain on the spine will be minimal. Two photographs illustrate the area under the seat which is used as a 'catch all' for the ground handling wheels, oil cans, tool boxes, main rotor tie-down, litter attachments, and other loose equipment carried in the aircraft. These photos were taken of an aircraft selected at random. Accident experience with the type troop seat utilized in this aircraft indicates the seat will fail under even moderate crash load conditions. It is, therefore, important that the area directly beneath all occupied troop seats be kept free of loose equipment.