Investigation on risk management for seat restraint system based on operational data and numerical model

As a significant part of aircraft of civil aviation, the seat restraint system effectively reduces the casualties in the crash during accidents. The continuous improvement of relevant regulations further improves the safety level of the system design and ensures the safety of personnel. The regulations (FAR 25.561/562/785.) applicable to the aviation seat restraint system were focused and the possible amending approach guided by the system safety management was proposed, where the safety risk analysis and assessment were fulfilled using the aviation operational data and numerical simulation. For the possible risks targeted by the amendment of regulations, this method focuses on prior risk assessment combined with the risk assessment matrix and mining data from relevant accident investigation reports, airworthiness directives and service difficulty reports to analyse and determine the failure mode and occurrence probability of aviation seats, then use the dynamic impact simulation model of the aviation seat restraint system to assess the severity of hazards in different states, and comprehensively determine the risk level to determine the safety level of the regulation amendment. The method is based on system safety thinking and uses data analysis and model simulation, which has good development and application prospects to assist regulation amendment and improve the safety level of aviation seat restraint systems.