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Dynamic tests were conducted in 1986 with airline passenger triple-seat assemblies. The goal was to gain experience in testing methods and gather data on airline seat performance in the dynamic environment of an emergency landing. The test series investigated acceleration levels, impact velocity, longitudinal and vertical impacts, multiple-row effects, and floor deformation. The test conditions remained below the point of total seat assembly failure so that the performance of the seat assemblies could be evaluated for structural integrity, reaction loads of the seat legs with the floor structure, and the loads experienced by the instrumented dummy occupant.

In the past, commercial airplane manufacturers have used analytical techniques and nonstructured pilot opinion for workload assessment. Analytic techniques are of particular value to the aircraft manufacturer since they offer both the potential for identifying and correcting workload problems early in the design phase when the cost of change is relatively low and a tool that can provide data for certification. One disadvantage to the available analytic techniques is their lack of fidelity in assessing mental effort. With the current shift of flight deck design placing more mental demands on the flightcrew, workload assessment has taken on a new challenge. The addition of formalized subjective measures to traditional objective analyses can provide information that validates the analytic- and simulation-based estimates of physical workload and enhances estimates of mental workload.