Medical outcomes of emergency ejections from Russian aircrafts in 2003-2010

• Published in: Aviakosmicheskaia i Äkologicheskaia meditsina Vol. 48; no. 2; p. 57
• Main Authors: Moiseev, Iu B, Strakhov, A Iu, Churilov, Iu K, Vovkodav, V S, Radchenko, S N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 2014
• Subjects: Accidents, Aviation - classification; Accidents, Aviation - statistics & numerical data; Aircraft; Craniocerebral Trauma - mortality; Craniocerebral Trauma - pathology; Extremities - injuries; Humans; Male; Military Personnel; Neck Injuries - mortality; Neck Injuries - pathology; Russia; Spinal Injuries - mortality; Spinal Injuries - pathology; Survival Analysis; Trauma Severity Indices; Russia
• ISSN: 0233-528X

Outcomes of 36 accidents with 37 aircrafts (one mid-air collision) in the period of 2003-2010 have been analyzed. Of 71 ejected crew members 14 pilots died (19.7%), 26 pilots (36.6%) suffered injuries of varying severity and 31 pilots (43.7%) escaped noticeable injuries. The major causes of the deaths were late emergency escape and failure of the eject mechanism (EM). The majority of harmed pilots (n = 18, 69.2%) had slight injuries; one crew member (3.9%) was injured moderately and 7 pilots (26.9%), substantively. Most of the injuries occurred on parachute landing (40.3%). The main reasons for severe injury were parachute landing impact (69.2%) and EM failure (23.1%). Commonly injuries were caused to the head and neck (30.7%) and a bit less often to the lower and upper extremities (22.6 and 19.4% respectively). 14.5% of the injuries were brought to the body and 11.3%--to the back. Severe injuries included fractures of the spine (42.9%) and lower and upper extremities (42.9 and 14.2% respectively).