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Video: NASA simulates a severe but survivable plane accident
A single engine Cessna 172 plane was dropped to the ground from 100 feet on Wednesday at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., in an effort to help search and rescuers save more lives. (www.youtube.com) Mehr...
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Don't give up Justin Littell. Your landings will get better with practice.
In the real world, the plane probably would have fireballed. However, any landing you can walk away from....
Interesting background note: the structure NASA uses for these aircraft drop tests was originally built for captive testing of the Apollo lunar lander.
Neil Armstrong and his follow-on LM Pilots practiced Lunar landings using that gantry. The surface was modified to replicate the Lunar surface, dust included, and tests were done at times that produced similar lighting conditions.
Thanks for the history lesson. Nasa bought that aircraft earlier this year. Not much history of it on Flightaware.
Surprised they didn't paint over the N-number on the other side. Probably some heartbroken folks out there seeing "their" plane meet its demise. On another note, I wonder why NASA chose to use a 40 year old airplane for this test? I realize the venerable 172 fleet (and Cessna singles in general)are still out there earning their keep,but what kind of data is NASA expecting to gain to move safety forward by utilizing this airframe? If they are testing ELTs. will the data be relevant when compared to a fiberglass or carbon fiber structure, or even an updated 172 fuselage with fewer hours, less fatigue, and less potential for corrosion?
