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A Study of Airline Passenger Susceptibility to Atmospheric Turbulence HazardA simple, generic, simulation math model of a commercial airliner has been developed to study the susceptibility of unrestrained passengers to large, discrete gust encounters. The math model simulates the longitudinal motion to vertical gusts and includes (1) motion of an unrestrained passenger in the rear cabin, (2) fuselage flexibility, (3) the lag in the downwash from the wing to the tail, and (4) unsteady lift effects. Airplane and passenger response contours are calculated for a matrix of gust amplitudes and gust lengths of a simulated mountain rotor. A comparison of the model-predicted responses to data from three accidents indicates that the accelerations in actual accidents are sometimes much larger than the simulated gust encounters.
Document ID
20000109820
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Stewart, Eric C.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2000
Subject Category
Air Transportation And Safety
Report/Patent Number
AIAA Paper 2000-3978
Meeting Information
Meeting: Atmospheric Flight Mechanics
Location: Denver, CO
Country: United States
Start Date: August 14, 2000
End Date: August 17, 2000
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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