If it was a composite aircraft the outcome would almost certainly have been better. Metals and composites are completely different animals and the way they work in a crash would be different. Metals are tough in the sense that they are hard to damage but the energy required to part the bits is relatively low. Composites are easy to damage but very difficult to drag the bits apart. Consequently you would not wear a metallic crash helmet (or combat helmet) and right from the off composite race cars where much more survivable than metal ones.