Biomedical Review of Aircrew Weight as a Risk Factor in CT 133 and CT 114 Ejections: 1970 - 1998

This review was undertaken in Jan 1999 in response to growing concern over Canadian Forces CT133 and CT114 aircraft ejection safety. Occupant weight was a suspected risk factor for serious injury or death during an ejection. A review of literature and examination of all CT133 and CT144 accident reports from 1970-98 was done to investigate occupant weight as a risk factor during all phases of ejection (firing of the seat, windblast and tumbling, seat-person separation, opening shock, landing forces, and post-landing factors). Heavy weight does not appear to be a significant risk factor for major injury or death from a biomedical perspective, although further study is recommended to clearly establish the influence of mass and body size on tumbling and seat-person separation. Heavy weight does lead to higher descent rates and possibly associated landing injury, although our data cannot establish this, nor can it rule out influence of inadequate training in landing technique. Light weight may be a risk factor with respect to injury associated with acceleration, tumbling and opening shock. It should be noted that there may be engineering concerns regarding these specific ejection systems that are outside the scope of this review. Text in French; abstracts in French and English.