Biomedical subjects

P Vyrnwy-Jones

Publications and source records attributed to P Vyrnwy-Jones.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1985

A review of Army Air Corps helicopter accidents, 1971-1982.

A comprehensive review of helicopter accident data from ACC sources is presented for the period 1971-1982. Accident and fatality rates have declined from the high values quoted in earlier studies in the 1960's and are now similar to those of fixed wing aircraft equipped with ejection seats. This improvement is related to the replacement of older reciprocating engined helicopters by turbine powered units and parallel progress in helicopter design, aircraft servicing, and pilot training. AAC accident rates now compare extremely favourably with information from civilian sources, though fatality rates are similar. Pilot error remains the main cause of accidents (75%). Particular attention is paid to subsidiary aetiologies such as tail rotor strikes, disorientation, and ground accidents. Helicopter accidents involving fatalities on Operation Corporate are mentioned briefly. Methods whereby occupant protection and aircraft crashworthiness can be improved are covered and it is concluded that assisted escape, although an ideal solution, is by no means an urgent requirement for helicopters, in view of the dramatic reduction in accident and fatality rates.

Accidents, Aviation↗

PubMed1984

Aviation medicine and the Army.

The purpose of this short series of articles is not to present the reader with a vast amount of technical data, soon to be forgotten, but to provide some items of general interest from the past, present, and future of Army aviation. Obviously there will be a concentration on medical matters, but the aim is to give the reader a feel for the rapid progress being made in helicopter design and the likely problems we may face in the future. The first article serves as an introduction to the series and three further articles will cover various aspects of the speciality. The second will be concerned with AAC helicopter accidents and will include accident investigation, crashworthiness and the contribution made by pilot error. The third article will cover major environmental problems of helicopters, particularly noise, vibration and thermal stress. The fourth article will examine ways in which microprocessors and modern technology will affect future helicopter and ancillary equipment development; for instance, a helicopter with no external windows has been suggested, 'The Iron Cockpit'. The fifth article will be concerned with the clinical aspects of Army Aviation medicine.

Aerospace Medicine↗

PubMed1984

Helicopter accident survivability.

Army Air Corps accident and fatality rates have now reached levels which compare favourably with data from other civilian and military sources. This improvement is the result of enhanced helicopter design and parallel progress in aircrew training. The introduction of new generations of turbine powered rotor craft has largely eliminated mechanical failure as the cause of accident. As a result 75% of Army Air Corps accidents are due to pilot error. This contribution is likely to increase in the future as the pilot's task is made more difficult by the incumberance of personal equipment. Methods whereby occupant protection and aircraft crashworthiness can be improved are reviewed and it is concluded that it would make sound economic sense to implement some of these well proven design features.

Acceleration↗

PubMed1984

Environmental factors in helicopter operations.

The environmental problems affecting aircrew are partly those which all soldiers face, such as noise, heat and cold, and partly peculiar to the medium and the vehicle in which aircrew train and fight, such as disorientation and decompression. The cockpit environment of the modern helicopter is luxurious in comparison with many of its predecessors, yet most of the adverse effects of flight on the man still pertain. The result can, predictably, be acute and disastrous, resulting in an accident produced by severe disorientation, or chronic, producing insidious fatigue and performance decrement, which may also result in an accident. One particular stressor may be dominant in a given situation, but generally, many separate factors act simultaneously to produce their results.

Aerospace Medicine↗