On the night of December 26, 2019, a Safari Helicopters ASTAR B2 helicopter carrying one pilot and six passengers went missing off the coast of Kauai. The wreckage was found on the morning of the 27th. Victims of the crash continued to be recovered. Unfortunately, air tour operations in Hawaii have a checkered history. In… Read More
Cold Water Survivability and Aviation Crashes: Introduction
The location of an airplane or helicopter crash has a large effect on post-impact survivability. For example, a crash at a remote mountain range has a lower survivability than a similar crash at a large airport with advanced ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting). When a crash occurs in the water, especially cold water, a whole… Read More
Cold Water Survivability and Aviation Crashes: Initial Impact Survivability
In this post, we will continue our cold water survivability discussion and take a look at how the mechanics of a crash itself affect cold water survivability issues. A passenger’s chances of surviving an aircraft’s initial impact with the water are most dependent on the degree to which the aircraft in under control at the… Read More