Manufacturer Says System Has Saved Five Lives

AmSafe makes airbags -- for airplanes. You may have heard of them. And if you have, you might have wondered how well they work.

The company says its AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraint (AAIR) system, a seat- and shoulder-belt mounted airbag design, has saved lives in three separate GA accidents. The company claims five separate occupants in those three accidents received no life-threatening injuries. In fact, all were able to evacuate the aircraft without help.

"Helping to prevent the loss of life constitutes the ultimate reward for the thousands of man hours that went into researching, developing, testing and implementing the AAIR system," said Ken Beckemeyer, president of AmSafe, Inc., parent of AmSafe Aviation. "The positive outcomes of these accidents serve as significant validation for what years of safety restraint testing have shown us -- airbags on aircraft can save lives."

AOPA's Air Safety Foundation annual Nall report shows more than 50-percent of GA accidents happen during taxi, takeoff or landing. Industry experts say surviving many accidents is primarily a matter of remaining conscious, and avoiding an injury to the head or neck precluding self-evacuation.

AmSafe says it's AAIR system is designed to do just that. The company claims similar levels of protection one might expect in a modern automobile airbag system.

The AAIR is built into a seat belt or shoulder harness. The crash sensor is self-contained with a seven-year battery -- there is no need for ship's power. The entire system including a high-pressure gas bottle -- providing the inflation mechanism -- weighs just 1.5 pounds.

"Twenty years ago people wondered about the value of installing airbags in cars, but now you wouldn't think of getting in a car that didn't have one," said Bill Hagan, president of AmSafe Aviation. "The same safety restraint measures are essential when flying. These recent accidents, and the fact that the occupants survived the impact, further illustrate the importance of having pilot and passenger seats equipped with an airbag restraint system."

AmSafe says the system is most effective for those accidents involving a frontal impact. Just as in an automobile, AmSafe's AAIR inflates in front of an occupant preventing impact with immobile objects like the control column or instrument panel.

AmSafe's system is FAA-certified for installation in both GA aircraft and commercial airliners. The manufacturer claims AAIR has logged millions of trouble-free flight hours. It also claims its system is installed in over 80% of new single-engine GA aircraft delivered as standard or optional equipment.

FMI: www.amsafe.com