Safety with BAS harness and low backrest seat!

sanships · Post by **sanships** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 4:10 am

In upgrading the aircraft with harnesses, does it make sense if you are using the original seats with low backrest? Since in a forced landing, whiplash injury could be just as fatal or severe as having regular shoulder belts? Any toughts?

mit · Post by **mit** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 7:54 am

Don't crash. I've been upside down with just a belt.

zero.one.victor · Post by **zero.one.victor** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 3:23 am

I think the shoulder restraints are a good idea,to keep your face out of the panel if you crash into an embankment,another plane,or suffer any other type of sudden stoppage of forward motion. I wouldn't think whiplash is much of a concern unless you're hit from behind or crash into the ground while doing a tailslide. Neither seems too likely.

Eric

JDH · Post by **JDH** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 5:00 pm

I agree with most of what Eric said: Shoulder harness will keep your face out of the panel. I have the BAS and the reason I chose BAS is not cause I got lotsa money to throw at the plane, but because it was the only one that would keep me tight in the harness even when reaching for the flap handle; just like in the car, it follows your movements.
Recently, a friend of mine went off the runway in a Stinson while getting checked out (no brakes on co-pilot side) and no shoulder harness. Result: He got a fat lip with cuts and bruises; the fellow in the co-pilot seat suffered multiple cuts, bruises and a couple of fractured vertebraes. Main gear hit a ditch, left wing hit a tree. Stories like that is why I never fly without shoulder harness.
JD

Post by **GAHorn** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 3:33 am

Ground Loops and nose-overs are most likely the accident type you will suffer in a taildragger. Keeping your face out of the panel and the control column out of your solar-plexis is what will make it merely an embarassing incident/accident instead of a nasty emergency-room visit or "blunt-trauma" fatality. "Whip lash" is an automotive type injury and is rarely mentioned in aircraft accident reports.

zero.one.victor · Post by **zero.one.victor** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 5:56 pm

gahorn wrote:........"Whip lash" is an automotive type injury and is rarely mentioned in aircraft accident reports.

I hear that burning car gas can cause whiplash injuries in airplanes.....

Eric

Post by **GAHorn** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 4:33 am

Ha! Yeah, and MMO applied by strong feminine hands to the whiplashed neck and other stiff muscles will eventually result in complete relaxation of the former stiffness. (And I'm told that some even like the taste.)