Aircraft Crash Research Articles

Switching Gears of DNA Extraction: From Destructive to Non- Destructive

In many cases where samples such as historical remains, museum samples, missing person and criminal sample needs to be preserved for years; DNA extraction by destructive methods is not feasible due to loss of precious samples. Hard tissue and mineralised body parts like bones and teeth are only accessible sources of DNA in mass disasters like earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, aircraft crashes, train wreck, derailments, and building fires with disfigured and decomposed bodies. The protective composition of teeth and bones provides an extra protection over soft tissue and thus its high resistance to the action of physical and chemical agents makes them the only choice for DNA extraction. This review summarises the previous and current methods of DNA extraction from tooth and bone, emphasizing its effect on DNA yield, efficiency to yield amplifiable amount of mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA, PCR amplification, PCR inhibition and its morphology. The likelihood to recover DNA from ancient teeth and bones in short time, with little contamination is the need of the hour and future thrust area of forensic biology. It will not only benefit forensic field but will be equally insightful in solving, archaeological and medical questions.

A Revised Particle Swarm Optimization Model of Airplane Evacuations

Aircraft accidents such as the Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft crash on May 5, 2019 at Sheremetyevo airport recently have drawn the public attention, requiring a safer evacuation plan and aircraft designs. In this paper, we conduct an evacuation model based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. Also, we learn from the PSO with emotion factor algorithm which shows that increasing the emotion raises the average velocity and decreases the repulsion force exerted by neighbour passengers. Our simulations also suggest that adding reaction time and blocking the exits increase the evacuation time significantly. In addition, we conduct simulations that incorporate passengers carrying luggage, according to the real-life scenarios, which has longer evacuation time.

ВЫБОР КОМПОНОВКИ ОСНОВНЫХ СИСТЕМ ТЯЖЕЛОГО МУЛЬТИКОПТЕРА С УЧЕТОМ ТРЕБОВАНИЙ АВИАЦИОННЫХ ПРАВИЛ

This article discusses the possibility of using a multicopter type aircraft as a transport vehicle in urban environments. This type of transport is the most promising in the near future, given the constantly growing number of traffic jams in large cities. The assessment of this aircraft is presented, taking into account the reliability requirements specified in the regulatory documents. The analysis of the aviation regulations requirements in terms of the aircraft systems reliability was carried out. Also the paper presents six options for the multicopter layout with a different number of propellers, taking into account the propeller control system, power supply system and control system. Other onboard systems are not considered, since their failures do not lead to an aircraft crash. An assessment of these options, taking into account the multicopter most critical onboard equipment layout according to reliability criterion by budgeting the requirements for one thrust generation channel, is given. Fault trees and failure situations that lead to a disastrous situation are also presented for each multicopter layout separately, as well as proposals for the number of independent channels for the power supply system and control system. Based on the set quantitative requirements for the occurrence of a catastrophic situation for the main on-board equipment and various layout options, taking into account the number of propellers and proposals for their architecture, power supply systems and control systems the most promising multicopter architecture options are determined. They meet the requirements for failure safety for a catastrophic situation.

Viability and Application of Mounting Personal PID VOC Sensors to Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Using a UAS-mounted sensor to allow for a rapid response to areas in which it may be difficult to reach or may not be safe for humans to encounter can increase the situational awareness of first responders of an aircraft crash site through the remote detection, identification, and quantification of airborne hazardous materials. The primary purpose of this research is to evaluate the innovative remote sensing viability and application of integrating existing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors with small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technology to detect potentially hazardous airborne contaminants at optimum range resolutions using UAS platforms.

Probability of a High-Speed Military Aircraft Falling at a Nuclear Power Plant and Setting of Design Loads on Building Structures

The article is devoted to issues related to the probabilistic justification of the safety of nuclear power plants (NPP) when a high-speed military aircraft falls. The random parameters are the recurrence of falls and the direction of the aircraft's trajectory. The conservative value of the recurrence of falls, given in the IAEA documents, was used, which ensures a high degree of NPP safety. The aircraft approach is assumed to be equally probable from either side. The trajectory slope is specified taking into account the IAEA documents and statistics of aviation accidents.
 
 The aircraft impact load is applied to one of the structures, therefore the impact probability must be determined independently for each of them. It is proportional to the equivalent area of the building structure, depending on its size, shape, position in space and in relation to other structures. Expressions are given for the equivalent areas of structures of various shapes, typical for NPP. It is shown that if the aircraft crash is unintentional (accident), then with the usual dimensions of structures, the probability of an impact in them is less than the value, starting from which, according to Russian standards, it must be taken into account in the design basis of the NPP, i.e. it can be ignored. Dependencies are given for calculating the probability of an aircraft strike in the case of a deliberately organized accident (terrorist attack), in which the aircraft will surely fall on the territory of “Nuclear Island” of the NPP.
 
 The procedure for setting the design loads on the building structures of a NPP in the case of a deliberate aircraft fall based on the allowed probability of their realization is described. It is shown that this method of setting the loads makes it possible to substantiate their significant reduction, which leads to a reduction in the cost of the NPP while guaranteeing its safety. A probabilistic assessment of structures safety of existing NPP in the event of an aircraft impact is discussed.

The fatiguing effect of broadband noise: An EEG-based study

Fatigue continues to be identified as one of the primary contribution factors in aircraft and motor vehicle crashes. The aim of the present study was to examine the fatiguing effect of continuous noise, noise that is present in the cabin of a truck, or an aircraft during flight. In pursuit of this aim, a monotonous driving scenario that has previously been shown to induce fatigue was employed, along with broadband noise set at 75dBA. Changes in participants brain wave activity as measured using an Electroencephalography (EEG), along with subjective measures and driving performance were analysed. Forty-five drivers were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups (ambient noise group at 40 dBA and broadband noise groups at 55 dBA and 75 dBA) and asked to complete a 90 min monotonous drive. Alpha brain wave activity, subjective fatigue response and deteriorating driving performance all indicate the monotonous drive to be fatiguing. Noise effects were evident with theta brain wave activity where the two noise groups (55 dBA and 75 dBA) had higher levels of theta activity than the ambient noise group. However, no interactions for time by noise were evident in any of the recorded brain activity frequency bands, although trends were evident with alpha activity. These results are discussed from both a theoretical and applied perspective.

Impact test of a centrifugal pump used in nuclear power plant under aircraft crash scenario

Resisting an accidental impact of large commercial aircrafts is an important aspect of advanced nuclear power plant (NPP) design. Especially after the 9·11 event, some regulations were enacted, which required the design of NPPs should consider the accidental impact of large commercial aircrafts. Normal working of equipment is important for stopping reactor under an impact when an NPP is in operation. However, there is a lack of reliable analysis and research on the impact test of nuclear prototype equipment. Therefore, in order to study the response of the equipment under high acceleration impact, a centrifugal pump is selected as the research object to perform the impact test. A horizontal half-sinusoidal pulse wave was applied to the working pump. The test results show that the horizontal response of the motor and flange is greater compared to other parts, as well as the vertical response of the coupling. The stress response of the pump body support and motor support is high, hence these parts should be considered in the design of the pump. Finally, combined with the damage and stress evaluation results of the pump under different amplitudes, the ultimate impact acceleration that the pump can withstand is given.

The labor medicine of civil aviation personnel in the Russian Federation

Recently, the incidence of civilian aircraft crashes has increased. These disasters lead to many casualties. Around the world, safetyis apriority in regulating air transport. But flight safety is closely related to pilotfatigue. In this regard, the pilot load standards must be clearly verified. The aim of the article is to analyze the possibility of increasing the sanitary norms of the flight load and at the same timereducing the annual leave for the crew members of civil aviation personnel inRussia. The methods used are both empirical (analysis andsynthesis, induction and deduction, systematization), and theoretical. Each airline must develop an effective risk management system based on thosedeveloped abroad. This system should include control over the rest of the pilots, ensure uninterrupted vacation for at least three weeks, take into account the qualityof the inter-shift rest of the pilots, fly in unusual situations.

Design of highly redundant fault tolerant control for aircraft elevator system

Elevators are surfaces of flight control, typically at the rear of an aircraft to control the pitch of the plane, the angle of attack and the wing lift. The most critical actuation device is longitudinal aircraft control, and its failures will result in a catastrophic aircraft crash. This paper proposes a Highly Redundant Fault Tolerant Control (HRFTC) policy for the aircraft to accommodate faults in the critical sensors and actuators. Modified Triple Modular Redundancy (MTMR) has been proposed for the sensors and Dual Redundancy (DR) has been proposed for the actuators. The working of control laws, pilot order, signal conditioning, and failure are elaborated. Furthermore, the PID controller is used for the adjustment of the position of the elevator by comparing it with a set point. The results show that when a fault occurs, the system detects it successfully and tolerates it quickly without disturbing the flight of aircraft. The study is significant for the avionics industry for manufacturing highly reliable machines for human and environmental safety.

Dynamic tensile response and failure mechanism of hi-lock bolt joint

The deformation mode and energy absorption property of aircraft sub-structure are of great significance for occupant protection during aircraft crash. The load transfer and failure mode of joint structures are one of important factors affecting aircraft structural deformation. This paper tries to study the dynamic failure behavior of aviation of hi-lock bolt joints under impact loads. Based on the shear resistance hi-lock bolt, the single-bolt single lap joints with two kinds of base metals (2024-T3 and 7050-T7451) were designed. The dynamic tensile tests of the joints were carried out by a high-speed material testing machine under four loading velocities, 0.01、0.10、1.00 and 3.00 m/s. The dynamic response, the ultimate load, the energy absorption and the failure mode of hi-lock bolt joints were measured and analyzed. The results show that the failure mode of the joints is greatly affected by the material strength of the base metal and the high lock bolt / nut, but less affected by the loading speed; as increasing the speed from 0.01 m/s to 3 m/s, the ultimate load and the energy absorption of 2024-T3 joints increase by 2.17% and 34.43% respectively, and the ultimate load and the energy absorption of 7050-T7451 joints increase by 5.53% and 6.58% respectively.

Accident of a civil passenger aircraft at a military airfield: The Casevac experience

Introduction: There are many civil airports in India wherein the airfield and flying operations are controlled by the military whereas, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) controls the civil terminal. Accident of a civil aircraft on such a base poses unique challenges. This paper discusses the medical contingency plan of a Naval Air Station to deal with civil aircraft crashes based on a civil aircraft incident. Case Details: In the early morning of late Dec in 2016, a Mumbai bound civil flight (Boeing 737) took off from an Indian Navy controlled airfield. While initiating the take-off roll from RW, it veered off the runway towards right and came to halt along the perimeter road 230 m north of the runway edge, on hard rocky ground. There were 154 passengers and 7 crew members who were evacuated from the aircraft, through emergency chutes. Few passengers escaped through the over wing hatches. Twenty passengers sustained injuries, mostly involving the lower limbs. This was primarily due to jumping on hard rocky ground and falling and tripping on rocks while moving away from the aircraft. An analysis was done to understand the limitations on the existing medical contingency plan. Discussion: The ICAO Airport Services Manual Part 7 on Airport Emergency Planning (Doc 9137-AN/898 Part 7) is the guiding reference for all airports on Airport Disaster and Planning. The Medical Services portion delineates clearly the role of the Medical Aid Providers. In the instant case, the medical department had successfully handled the casualty evacuation and their medical management. SOP and the existing medical contingencies were effectively used. A post-accident analysis in the instant case revealed that 17 out of 25 checklist points were satisfied. The lessons learned from the incident have been discussed in the paper.

Numerical Investigation on the Effect of Spatial Fuel Distribution in the Airplane on the Fireball Characteristics Generated by an Aircraft Impact

ABSTRACT A large fireball is usually created during an aircraft impact. The fireball may engulf a building and impart great thermal radiation onto nearby targets. A series of numerical simulations with parametric studies was conducted for a real aircraft crash accident. The effects of fuel distribution in the aircraft and fuel spray angle on the fireball characteristics associated with an aircraft crash are investigated. By comparing with the fireball diameter and center height obtained from video footage reported in the literature, the simulated fireball diameter is closest to that observed in the video footage when the fuel spray angle is 15° regardless of the number of dynamic fuel sprays. Furthermore, when the fuel distribution in the airplane is simulated with four dynamic sprays, the effect of spray angle on the predicted fireball center height is negligible. Based on the comparison of the simulated fuel droplet distribution with the fire zone after aircraft crash, we infer that the reliability of the simulation for the fireball generated by an aircraft crash depends on generation of a fuel jet in the front of the aircraft’s nose. This work provides numerical simulation with validation of the fireball characteristics generated by an aircraft impact.

Blast and Aircraft Crash Trauma: A Selection of WWII Cases from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Laboratory*†

This study examines patterns of skeletal trauma in propeller-driven aircraft crashes and blast-related ground loss incidents from WWII. Specifically, descriptions and criteria used to characterize aircraft deceleration- versus blast-related skeletal injuries are examined from 35 recently identified forensic anthropology cases to determine possible diagnostic traits and characterize skeletal trauma associated with these events. Among these cases, blast trauma is more localized within the skeleton and is associated with one or few primary directions of force. It is recommended that analysts differentiate between secondary and nonspecific blast trauma categories. Conversely, aircraft crash deceleration trauma is more widespread throughout the skeleton, with torsional fractures and injuries occurring from multiple or indeterminate directions. These traits reflect factors such as more complex loading environments than is seen in blast events. Two case studies are presented in detail to further illustrate differences in aircraft crash and blast-related incidents. Both studies emphasize consideration of the body as a whole unit to facilitate interpretations. While the cases presented herein result from historic war-related casualties that characterize the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's (DPAA) casework, these skeletal cases provide guidelines more appropriate than clinically derived criteria developed through assessments of soft tissue injuries. These guidelines can be used by anthropologists and pathologists working with skeletal remain from mass disasters and other complex contexts, as well as provide avenues for future research.

The role of augmented reality in air accident investigation and practitioner training

The aim of this paper is to describe the application of digital visualization tools to assist air accident investigators, including both their investigation activities and as a training resource. Augmented Reality technology is used to re-create a real aircraft crash scene, both in terms of wreckage distribution and features of the surroundings, in a full-scale 3D representation. A case study shows both potentials and limitations of the approach, and recommendations on how to improve the methodology are also proposed. Overall, it is concluded that Augmented Reality has achieved a maturity stage sufficient to consider it as an effective tool for training of air accident investigators and, to some extent, to support the investigation process itself, although more developments are required to address some current limitations and fully exploit the capabilities of this technology.

A Case Study on Assessing Cumulonimbus Induced Flight Vulnerabilities Over the Nepalese Himalayan Terrain

With a boom in the tourist industry both in India and adjoining Nepal, middle-class tourists from the Indian subcontinent have started routinely flying over the Himalayan terrain over the last decade. This influx of tourists stretches its aviation sector, in a country with some of the most vulnerable airports. The Himalayan terrain plays a key role in shaping weather systems over the region which has witnessed several aircraft crashes. Tourists in Nepal routinely fly 19-seater aircrafts such as the Beechcraft 1900D for a joy ride over the Himalayan range and are particularly vulnerable. This paper assesses the risks and vulnerabilities associated with such short duration flights starting from Kathmandu and covering parts of the Himalayan region. The region experiences deep cumulonimbus clouds which form over a period of a few days and are ubiquitous during the monsoon season (June to September). The vertical extent of such clouds ranges from 2 km upwards to up to the tropopause. This paper first assesses cumulonimbus mediated hazards along flight routes with thunderstorm activity and then details a critique on the hazard tied down to secondary effects i.e. deposition of supercooled droplets on a Beechcraft 1900D. In particular, the paper explores the role of cumulonimbus induced icing on the aircraft surfaces which can severely affect tourist flights over this part of the developing world.

Estimation of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Lateral Dynamic Model with System Identification Approaches

Modeling of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with system identification is very important in terms of its model-based effective control. The modeling of UAV is required for aircraft crashes, analyzing autonomous aircrafts, preventing external disturbances, pre-flight analysis. However, since UAV has nonlinear inherent dynamics including inherent chaoticity and fractality, it becomes difficult to obtain a mathematical model under external disturbance. In this study, some of the inherent nonlinear dynamics of UAV are linearized and the model of UAV is obtained by system identification approaches under external disturbance. The linearized lateral dynamics of a fixed wing UAV is used in this study. Further, the flight motion equations applied to fixed wing UAV have been utilized for obtaining the coefficients of lateral model for straight and level flight. The roll angles are calculated using transfer functions for aileron, rudder and deflections inputs. The autoregressive exogenous (ARX), autoregressive moving average with exogenous (ARMAX) and output error (OE) parametric system identification approaches are performed to estimate UAV lateral dynamic system response as using empirical input-output data sets. The accuracy of parametric model estimation and model degrees are compared for different external disturbance effects.

Ангстремтехнологія авіаційної кібербезпеки

Анотація. В авіаційній галузі проблема прийняття управлінських рішень, що повністю усуває авіаційні аварії та рятує людські життя, є особливо гострою. У колишні часи ця проблема ніколи не досліджувалася конструктивно. За кордоном лише вісім вчених (К. Ерроу, Г. Сімонс, П. Лукас, Г. Кляйнер, Б. Канапльов, Г. Бахарєв, А. Іншаков і Т. Любимова), які займаються наноекономічними підходами та методами, використовуваними для вирішення проблеми розвитку інтелектуального капіталу в цілому та контролю знань зокрема. Але в області авіації й управління авіакомпаніями немає досліджень і публікацій ні в Україні, ні в закордонних країнах. Отже, автори ввели нові економіко-математичні концепції та визначили роль 3D-моделювання в ангстремтехнологіях авіапідприємств з точки зору погляду на інформаційну безпеку та кібербезпеку. Успішні менеджери намагаються «запрограмувати» якомога більше управлінських рішень для підвищення ефективності управління інформаційною безпекою та кібербезпекою. Автори виконали 3D-моделювання інформаційної безпеки та прийняття рішень з кібербезпеки у питаннях повітряного простору, які можна розглядати як невелику версію моделювання з гнучкою шкалою часу (FTS) у використанні ангстремтехнології управління. У дослідженні визначені засоби економіко-математичного моделювання управлінської інформаційної безпеки та створення кібербезпеки в задачах авіаційної промисловості, що складаються з програмних модулів, які використовуються для задоволення потреб проектувальників повітряного простору. Інструменти моделювання зазвичай не використовують вигнуті сегменти. Точний опис маршрутів прибуття та відправлення, визначених вигнутими сегментами, може бути визначено з використанням апроксимованих лінійних сегментів моделі. Цей же метод пропонується використовувати для опису резервних областей. Розроблено концептуальну модель інформаційної системи ангстремтехнології авіапідприємств, отримано вплив на прийняття рішень щодо забезпечення інформаційної безпеки та ефективності кібербезпеки авіапідприємств. У цій статті висвітлюються результати використання нейронної мережі для управління людським мисленням. Зроблені висновки свідчать про те, що ангстремтехнологічна модель є зручним інструментом керівника авіапідприємства та потужним аналітичним інструментом у цілому. Завдяки їх використанню можна не тільки зберігати й інтегрувати дані, але і відображати процес роботи об'єктів на 3D-моделях.

Research on potential ground risk regions of aircraft crashes based on ADS-B flight tracking data and GIS

With the rapid development of the global aviation industry, the number of aircraft flying in the airspace has continuously increased. Although aviation safety has been improved in the last several decades, many general aviation and a few commercial aviation accidents occur every year, resulting in fatalities and significant economic loss. Aircraft crash accidents not only cause fatalities of crew members and passengers onboard, but also seriously affect people and property on the ground, especially if the crashed aircraft falls into dense urban areas. However, unlike emergencies caused by natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, or a terrorist attack, very little research looked into the potential consequences of aviation accidents to people and property on the ground from the view of urban planning and emergency management. The object of this study is to propose a model for identifying potential ground risk areas of aviation crash accidents. Different from studies in existing literature, actual flight trajectories obtained from automatic dependent surveillance—broadcast (ADS-B) data was introduced in this study and incorporated in modeling development. With the trajectory information, a GIS density analysis method was applied to obtain a regional aircraft flight-path line density distribution map and to model crash trajectories of aircraft falling to the ground if a crash occurred or aircraft malfunctioned in the air. Combining relevant socio-economic factors that are sensitive to disasters, a ground potential risk mapping model for aircraft crashes was built. Risk areas were divided into five categories indicating the crash severities of potential aviation crash-caused impacts. To demonstrate the research approach, the State of Florida is used as an example. The outcomes of the proposed model can be used by emergency management departments to develop management plans for better responding to potential risks and provide decision support for city managers on zoning and land use planning.

Calculation of prestressed structures for shock loading

Introduction. With the use of prestressing, coatings are made for special-purpose buildings, requiring calculations for extreme impacts. Such impacts include an airplane strike. Modeling of prestressed structures and calculation of shock loads is difficult to implement in classical calculation programs. A universal tool for solving such problems is the PC SOFiSTIK. This software complex allows you to interact with the most modern software solutions. Materials and methods. For the description of the method, special-purpose coating was selected and the strike calculation of the Learjet 23 aircraft was performed. For modeling prestressing, the SOFIPLUS interface is used. To describe the impact, the internal programming language CADINP is used. Results. The nature of the change in the coating deformations in the first seconds of the aircraft crash is presented graphically. Also, iso-ares of internal bending moments of the coating were derived for the selection of reinforcement and the diagram of the moments of the beams from the action of prestressing, taking into account tension losses. Conclusions. SOFiSTIK PC allows you to solve complex engineering problems with a high degree of automation. Thanks to the open source code, it becomes possible to calculate atypical extreme effects. The obtained graphs and diagrams confirm the passage of checks on the limiting states of the coating, and can also be used to design and calculate similar special-purpose structures.

Which conservatism? The identity of the Polish Law and Justice party

Abstract This article deals with Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS), considered a conservative party in the scholarly literature. Drawing largely on party manifestos, the article demonstrates the character, the specificities and the evolution of the party’s identity and ideology. A theoretical basis for the undertaking is provided by Klaus von Beyme’s concept of party families, Arend Lijphart’s seven ideological dimensions and classic texts on conservatism. The analysis finds that the most important components in PiS’s current identity are Catholicism itself and the great emphasis the party places on the role of the Catholic Church. Also important for the party’s identity are visions of a nation conceived on ethnic principle, a strong and active state able to form society with a national spirit, anti-communism and a negation of developments in Poland since 1989. A substantial role is played by the quasi-religiously conceived legacy of the party’s co-founder, Lech Kaczyński, who tragically perished in an aircraft crash. With its Catholic-nationalist profile, PiS is close to the Christian current within the conservative New Right, and to Polish National Democracy in the interwar period.