orum The International Society of Air Safety Investigators Volume 18, #3 October 1986 Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Seminar of the International ociety of Air afety Investigators Scottsdale, Arizona U.S.A. eptembe 3-6, 9 5 forum T e Jerome R Lederer Award Published Quarterly by the International Society of Air Safety Investigators Nom inations for the 1987 Award will close on March 31, 1987. 'Volume 18 # 3, 1985 Editor-Vacan t The award is given for outstanding contributions to technical Production/Technical Editor- Stepha n J, Corrie excellence in accident in estigation. Not more an one award Technica l Editor- Richard Clarke will be made annually and presentation is at the ISASI Associate Editor- Polly Nielsen Seminar. The recipient is selected by the ISASI Awards Com­ mittee. The Editorial objective is to report developments and ad vanced tech­ niques of particular interest to the professio nal airc raft accident inves­ Any ISASI member may submit a nomination for this award. tigator. Opinions and conclusions ex ressed herein are th ose of the It must be sent to the Chairman of the Awar ds Committee, writ ers and are not official positions of the Society, The Editorial Staff and must include a statement describing why the nominee reserves the right to reject any article that, in its opinio n, is not in should be considered. This statement should be sufficiently keeping with the ideas an d/or objectives of th e Society. It further descriptive to justify the selection but no more than one reserv es the right to delete, summarize or edit portio ns of any aritcle t ypewrit ten page in length. whe n such action is indicated by printing space limit ations. This award is one of the most significant honors an accident The wealth of material presented at the 1985 Seminar has lead to two inve stigator can receive, and so considerable care is given in significant departures from normal Proceedings publication. First, a determining the recipient. Each ISASI member should large group of articles on th e subject of the U.S. Federal Aviation Ad­ thoughtfully review his or her as sociation with professional ministration/National Aeronautics and Space Administration Con­ investigators. and submit a nomination when they can iden­ trolled Impact Demonstration (CID) have been grouped together and tify someone who has really been outstanding in increasing will be presented as a special edit ion of the Forum subsequent to these the technical quality of investigation. Proceedings. Seco nd , due to th e lar ge number of illustrations used in the papers submitted fo r publication, some have been deleted to Mail to: Dr. William J. McArthur remain within publica tion limits. The edit ors have attempted to retain 4900 Kingsway - Suite 310 those illustrations which were essent ial for explanation of the text. Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5H 2E3 Editorial Office: (604) 432-1644 is si West Building, Room 259 Washington Nationa Airport Washingt on, DC 20001 U.S.A. Telephone: (703) 521-5 195 THE INTERN ATIONAL SOCIET Y OF UNITED STATES CH APTERS AIR SAFETY n VES TI GATORS Los Angeles Regional Chapter Richa rd E. Storey, President Sa n Francisco Regional Chapter Malcolm Brenner, Presiden t OFFICERS Pacific Northwest Regional Chapter Joh n W. Sweet, Contact President Charles R. Mercer Rocky Mountain Regional Chapter L.B. Ullstrom, President Vice President Vacant Great Lakes Regional Chapter Jack J. Eggspuehler, President Secretary Stephan J . Corrie Dallas-Fl. Worth Regional Chapter Paul R. Powers, Co ntac t Treasurer Robert D. Rudich So utheastern Regional Cha pter Ca ptain J oe Fagundes. President Executive Advi sor John R. McDonald Mid Atlantic Regional Chapter . .. ... Ira J. Rimson, Presiden t Northeast Region al Chapter Major Edwin C. Mac Neil. President COUNCILl o RS International S. Olof Fritsch MEMB ERSHIP United States Captain Richard B. Stone Individual membership is available to persons who are, or have been Australian Kenneth S. Lewis actively engaged in the investigat ion of aircraft accidents, civilian or Canadian. ....... J.D. (Don) Burt on military, or in the promo tion of air safety. The initiation fee is 835.00 European Roy Lomas and the first year's annual dues are 850.00 for a total of $85.00 U.S. l'iATI ONAL AND RE GIO, AL SOCIETI ES Corporate membership is available to firms engaged in air transporta­ Australian Society of tion, in the manufacture of aviation products or providing serv ices Air Safet y Investigators '.' . .. Kenneth S. Lewis, President that are aeronautical in nature. Submit a letter to the Pres ident of Canadian Society of ISASI and forward the sum of $400.00 U.S. to provide an initiation Air Safety Investigators J.D. (Don) Burton, President fee of $100.00 and the first year's dues of $300.00. European Regional Society of Air Safet y Investigators Roy Lomas, Acting Preside nt Further information on membership may be obtained by writing: John G. Young, Chairman Membership Committee, ISASI West Building, Room 259 Washington National Airport Washington, D.C. 20001 Table of Contents The Jerome F. Lederer Award - 1985 ... 0 ., •••••••••••••• 0 •••••• 0" ••• 0" ••••••••••••• , •• o ••••••• 0" 0 ••• 0" ii The Constructive Uses of Aviation Catastrophes and Other Undesired Events Jerry Lederer . 0 ••••• 0 •• 0 0 0 •• 0 0 • 0 0 0 0 ••••••••••••• 0 ••••••••• 0 •• 0 •••••••• 0 ••••••• 0 •••• 0 ••• 0 • 0 •• 0 •• 0 • • • • •• 1 Examination of Electrical Wiring and Equipment in Aircraft Accident Investigation Francis M. Wells, Ph.D., P.E. .. 0 ••••••••••••• 0 ••• 0 •••••••• 0 •••••••••••••••• 0 •••••• 0 ••• 0............... 6 Fracture Mechanics for Use in Aircraft Crash Reconstruction Paul F. Packman and Angela A. Steffan o, • 0 •••• o ••••••••• 0.0 •••• '" •••••• o. o' 0 ••••••••• 10 Investigating New Technology Aircraft Accidents Richard B. Stone 0 •••••••• 0 •••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 ••••••• 0 • • • • • • • •• 13 Light Bulb Filament Impact Dynamics Study M. R. Poole, M. Vermi, and T. W. Heaslip 0 •••••••••••• 0 ••••••• 0 0 •• 0 ••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 • 0 •• o' 15 Rotor Blades "Then and Now" Robert Orr " 0 •••••••••• 0 ••••••••• 0 ••• 0 ••• 0 •••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 0 •• 0 •••••••••••••••• 0 • 0 •••••• 0 ••• , 24 Crash Injury Investigation - Past, Present and Future A. Howard Hasbrook, F.As., M.A., P.E o' •••••••••••••••••••••• 0 0 •••••••••• 0 • 0 •••••••••••••••••••• 27 The Social Psychological Aspect of Pilot-Error Accidents: Male vs,: Female Gayle J. Vail .. 0 •••••• 0 0 ••••••••••••••• 0 ••• 0 ••••••••• 0 ••••••• 0 •••••••••••••• 0 ••• 0 • , •••••• 0 • • • • • • • • • •• 29 Early Polish Works in the Field of Aircraft Safety (Years 1926-39) Professor Leszek Duleba .. 0 •••••••••••••• 0 • 0 •••••••••••••••• 0 ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 33 Analysis of Flight Data Recorder Information Dennis R. Grossi . 0 ••• 0 0 ••• 0 ••••••• 0 •• 0 0 •••••••• 0 ••••••• 0 •••••••••••• 0 ••••••••• 0 0 •••• 0 0 •• 0 ••••••••• 0 •• 35 Readout and Data Processing of the Fairchild Digital Flight Recorder Hans Napfel and Barry Hawkins .... 0 •••••••••••••••• 0 •••• 0 : •••••• 0 0 ••• 0 ••• 0 •••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 •• 39 The Application of CVR and FDR Data in Human Performance Investigations Phyllis Kayten, Ph.D. and Carol A. Roberts, Ph.D., PoE. 0 ••••••••• 0 •••••• 0 •••• o •••••••••••• 0 00 •••• 44 A Combination Flight Data Recorder/Cockpit Voice Recorder for Both Civilian and Military Aircraft Daniel M. Watters . 0 • 0 •••••••••• 0 •••••• 0 •••••••••••••••••••••• 0 •• 0 ••••• 0 ••• 0 •••••••••••• 0 •••••• 0 • • • •• 51 The Anatomy and Pathology of an Aircraft Accident Lawsuit Richard C. Froede, M.D. and Morris Reyna . 0 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 56 i 'fit ..... THE JEROME F. LEDERER AWARD 1985 presented to Dr. John Kenyon Mason for Outstanding Contributions to Technical Excellence in Accident Investigations Mr. Jerome (Jerry) F. Lederer, at right, presents the award to Dr. Mason at ISASl's banquet dinner at the Marriott's Mountain Shadows resort. The International Society of Air Safety Investigators has awarded the Jerome F. Lederer Award to Dr. John Kenyon Mason, Professor of Forensic Pathology, University of Edinburgh. This award is given for Outstanding Contribution to Technical Excellence in Accident Inves­ tigation. The award was presented at the Society's 16th Annual Seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona on September 5, 1985. Professor Mason's interest in traumatology began in 1955when he was asked to form a Department of Aviation and Forensic Pathology for the Royal Air Force. The need for this stemmed from the large number of unexplained fatal accidents for which it was felt there might be medical causes; it was also realized that little was known of the cause and significance of many types of aviation trauma. From the beginning, Professor Mason was motivated to free the forensic pathologist from the confines of the post mortem dissection to being an active accident investigator working closely with the law enforcement officers, engineers, etc. The pattern which evolved included a visit to the site, a personal examination of safety equipment and the crash environment, a study of the relevant past medical histories and an in depth autopsy examination of the fatal casualties. The pathology of trauma could thus be regarded essentially as an aspect of preventive medicine which could be applied to all forms of violent accident death. The work was first applied to military aviation and was then extended to private flying. Later commercial aviation was included,