Soon after the introduction of the crashworthy fuel system and Nomex f
light apparel, morbidity and mortality rates from thermal injuries in
aviation were reduced to zero, Although the incidence of aircraft mish
aps involving postcrash fires have remained the same, there has been a
recent increase in thermal injury morbidity. These case reports descr
ibe three different aircraft accidents in which fire was caused by fac
tors other than the crashworthy fuel system. They also describe sustai
ned thermal injuries and compare them to personal protection equipment
. We found that the condition of the personal protective equipment and
unauthorized use of unapproved apparel were responsible for the susta
ined injuries, We maintain that personal protection equipment is effec
tive if worn in the manner for which it was designed. We believe that
the lessons learned apply to all military operations where the risk of
fire is high, not solely aviation. A proactive program focused on edu
cation would reduce the thermal injury morbidity.