Medical guidelines for space passengers--II.

It now appears likely that commercial entities will carry paying passengers on suborbital spaceflights in this decade. The stresses of spaceflight, the effects of microgravity, and the limited capability for medical care onboard make it advisable to develop a system of medical clearance for such space tourists. The Aerospace Medical Association, therefore, organized a Space Passenger Task Force whose first report on medical guidelines was published in 2001.

Toxicologic studies on USAF aircraft accident casualties, 1973-1984.

The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology analyzed toxicology specimens on 294 cases submitted by the U.S. Air Force from 1973 through 1984.

Fire deaths in aircraft without the crashworthy fuel system.

Cases reported to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology were examined for occupants of helicopters without the crashworthy fuel system (CWFS) who survived crashes but died as a result of postcrash fires. There were 16 fire deaths in the 9 such accidents which occurred between January 1976 and April 1984. All of these victims would have survived if there had been no postcrash fire.

Helicopter wire strike accident and high voltage electrocution: a case report.

Helicopter wire-strike accidents usually involve high-voltage lines or telephone wires where the resulting impact is low velocity with minimal loss of occupiable space. Death and injury in these mishaps is often due to blunt force trauma to the head. In a recent wire strike accident investigated by the Division of Aerospace Pathology at The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the circumstances suggest that death of both aviators was due to high-voltage electrocution.