Originally Posted By: Art_in_FL
It isn't unknown for helicopter pilots to land hard and be unable to get out of their seat. What you have to work with may be what you can reach while strapped in.


That's what happened to Mike Durant when he landed hard in Mogadishu. Despite the shock absorbers built into his seat, the impact broke one of his legs and some vertebrae cracked from compression. He likely would not have been able to exit the craft without being pulled out by Shughart or Gordon.