TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1995//
TI  - Factors related to pilot survival in helicopter commuter and air taxi crashes
JO  - Aviation, space, and environmental medicine
A1  - Baker, Susan Pardee
A1  - Li, Guohua
A1  - Krebs, M. B.
SP  - 99
EP  - 103
VL  - 66
IS  - 2
N2  - We examined factors related to pilot survival in 167 consecutive helicopter commuter and air taxi crashes that occurred during 1983-88. Case fatality rates and adjusted odds ratios from multivariate logistic regression models were determined using data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). During this 6-year period, 29 pilots-in-command died in 167 helicopter commuter and air taxi crashes, a case fatality rate of 17.4%. Factors significantly associated with increased risk of pilot fatality were aircraft fire [odds ratio (OR) 20.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.6-86.8], not using shoulder harnesses (OR 9.2, 95% CI 2.2-37.3), and aircraft with two engines (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.3-17.4). In addition, we present data regarding success and failure of emergency flotation devices. The results suggest that the likelihood of pilot survival in helicopter crashes could be greatly improved by preventing crash associated fires and promoting the usage of shoulder restraints.
LA  - 
SN  - 0095-6562
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -