- Smart Protection In Small Airplanes
 We all enjoy the convenience, fun, and safety of flying. We also understand that there may be times when our best efforts for a safe flight will be inadequate, and an accident could happen.
While most accidents are minor and pose no significant risk to the airplane or its occupants, some can result in major injuries or fatalities. However, studies of serious accidents have shown that the proper use of shoulder harnesses, in addition to the safety belt, would reduce major injuries by 88 percent and reduce fatalities by 20 percent.
INSTALL SHOULDER HARNESSES IN YOUR AIRPLANE
Shoulder harnesses have been required for all seats in small airplanes manufactured since December 12, 1986. If your airplane is not equipped with them, you should obtain kits for installing shoulder harnesses from the manufacturer or the manufacturer's local sales representative.
USE THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM... PROPERLY
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FAA regulations require that safety belts and shoulder harnesses (when installed) be properly worn during landings and takeoffs. If the restraint is not worn properly, it cannot provide full benefits and can even cause injury in a serious impact.
Tests have shown that slack in the restraint system should be minimal. In an impact, your body keeps moving until the slack is taken out of the restraint, but then must be abruptly stopped to "catch up" with the airplane. The restraint should be adjusted as tightly as your comfort will permit to minimize potential injuries. |
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The safety belt should be placed low on your hip bones so that the belt loads will be taken by the strong skeleton of your body. If the safety belt is improperly positioned on your abdomen, it can cause internal injuries. If the safety belt is positioned on your thighs, rather than the hip bones, it cannot effectively limit your body's forward motion. |
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Shoulder harness systems can use dual shoulder belts, or a single diagonal belt similar to those used in automobiles. The belts should not rub against your head or neck. This is uncomfortable, will discourage use of the shoulder harness, and can also cause neck injuries during an impact. |
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Single diagonal shoulder belts should be positioned so that the torso's center of gravity falls within the angle formed by the shoulder belt and the safety belt. Otherwise your torso may roll right out of the shoulder belt during an impact and compromise your protection. |
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Because the lower end of the shoulder belt is usually fastened to the safety belt buckle or the buckle insert, the safety belt buckle should be positioned on the side of your hip. This differs from the central location of the buckle that is common when only the safety belt is used.
Be sure that the safety belt is installed so that when the buckle is unlatched, both the safety belt and the shoulder belt are released. Also, be sure that the buckle can be unlatched without interference from the seat armrest, aircraft controls, or the interior wall of the airplane. |
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If the shoulder harness uses dual belts fastened to the safety belt near the center of your body, the shoulder belts will tend to pull the safety belt up off your hip bones. This could cause internal injuries in an impact.
When it is tightened about your hips, the safety belt should be positioned so that it makes an angle of about 55 degrees with the centerline of the airplane.
This allows it to resist the upward pull of the shoulder belts, reducing the risk of internal injury. |
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Otherwise, a tie-down strap from the buckle to the center-forward edge of the seat may be necessary to resist the upward pull of the shoulder belts.
If your restraint system uses a tie-down strap, adjust it to remove all the slack when the restraint system is used. A properly installed and adjusted tie-down strap is completely safe.
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