Airbag restraints
Enhanced safety for survivable accidents
When it comes to seat belts, many owners of older general aviation aircraft opt to upgrade with newer, safer options. While replacing old lap belts with shoulder harnesses may be a given, some aircraft owners and manufacturers choose to take things a step further with airbag seat belts.
The first certificated airbag restraints for general aviation aircraft were introduced in 2003 and, as of 2010, they have been installed in more than 7,000 GA aircraft. Fast forward to today, many new aircraft come standard with airbag seat belts and Amsafe has cornered the market on airbag seat belt retrofit kits for general aviation aircraft built as early as the 1950s. Airbag lap belts can also be found on many commercial airliners.
To reduce the prospect and severity of head and torso injuries in the event of a survivable aircraft accident, Amsafe developed its State of the Art Restraint or SOARS system for hundreds of Part 23 normal category aircraft. These kits replace the original pilot and co-pilot two- or three-point standard restraints.
The airbag is stored in the seat and/or shoulder harness. When a predetermined deceleration event is registered within the electronic module, a signal is sent to engage the inflator assembly and fill the airbag. The airbag deploys through a rip stitch seam within the airbag cover. The system is designed to protect bodies from fifth percentile adult women through the ninety-fifth percentile adult men.
Cost for these systems starts around $4,000.
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