PPRuNe Forums - Crashworthiness

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...nReno2/z02.jpg
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...nReno2/z02.jpg

To the Men and Women of Sikorsky,

Attached are pictures of my Navy buddy's 53E hard landing (to say the least) from a high hover crash. He wanted me to pass on his thanks for the strength and safety designed and built into his helicopter which undoubtedly saved his life and the lives of the rest of the crew. His seat stroked as advertised, preventing his and his co-pilot's heads from getting chopped off when the rotors drooped on impact, slicing off the top of the cockpit. The fuel sponsons sheared off but the tanks sealed, preventing a massive fireball from consuming the wreck. And undoubtedly, the gear absorbed a large amount of energy, helping to prevent them from completely breaking their backs. As a former Navy 60B pilot, I have always been supremely confident in the strength, reliability, and safety of the basic airframe (Special thanks for those terrific struts! No matter how hard I've had to drop the collective to get aboard a pitching and rolling deck, they always provide a ton of cushion and I've never felt a "hard landing".). That a helicopter wreck can look like this and all the crew lived is incredible. Remember that the products you design and build, and the way you do it, saves people's lives, whether it be those that are getting picked up, or the crew inside. Many thanks!

Sincerely, XXX