Just how crashworthy is your aircraft’s cabin? Here’s hoping you’ll never find out. Our safety refurbishment article that begins on page 7 contains a number of useful tips for preparedness, plus a rundown of aftermarket products for raising the bar on cabin crashworthiness and occupant safety. For years, I thought little about the issue, other than snugging the seat belt during the takeoff roll and instructing passengers how to operate the cabin door and emergency windows. And then I was in a crash.
It was a controlled crash (if there is such a thing) of a high-wing Cessna into a field of Cow Corn after total engine failure. As an occupant in the front right seat of the aircraft, I learned a lot about crash landings, including the effectiveness of shoulder restraints. But what I learned most was how vulnerable to injury cabin occupants are from unsecured items. The stuff we generally take along on every flight including flashlights, headsets, bottles of water, pens, phones, fire extinguishers—and of course, tablet computers and portable GPS units—become dangerous projectiles.