Survival of high-velocity free-falls in water.

Snyder, Richard G.

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Survival of high-velocity free-falls in water.

1965-04-01
By Snyder, Richard G.

File Language:

English

Details

Creators:

Snyder, Richard G.
Corporate Creators:

Civil Aeromedical Research Institute
Subject/TRT Terms:

Aeronautics--Human Factors Age Aircraft Accidents Alcoholism Alcohol Use Bridges Case Studies Crash Landing Drag Forces Drinking Of Alcoholic Beverages Drug Abuse Drug Use Etiology Falls (Accidents)--Case Studies Flight Flight--Physiological Aspects Force Force And Energy Fractures Fractures (Anatomy) Free Fall Gender Human Factors Injuries Internal Injuries Organs (Anatomy)--Wounds And Injuries Set Forward Force Sex Skin--Wounds And Injuries Skin Injuries Speed Survival Time Duration Tolerance (Physiology) Turbulence Velocity Vertically Rising Aircraft VTOL Aircraft Water Weather Weather Conditions
Publication/ Report Number:

AM 65-12 ; DOT/FAA/AM-65/12
Resource Type:

Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:

United States
Corporate Publisher:

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
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.
Format:

PDF
Collection(s):

FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha256:e39f353cdf8f0ca4cc7ab31a40c0b2046041ccbeb82f56236229717f59299019
Download URL:

https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/20740/dot_20740_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 784.75 KB ]

File Language:

English

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