[en] During handling of the container within the reactor containment, its shock absorber casing is removed and it is possible that after an accidental crash a loss of protection or tightness may occur. Three crash tests with 1/5 scale models weighing 800 kg each have been performed at the Centre d'Etudes Scientifique et Techniques d'Aquitaine (CEA, Bordeaux). The models were cylindrical and composed of an internal steel vessel surrounded successively by lead, plaster compound and and external steel vessel. A rigid internal load simulated the fuel. The numerical calculations have been run with the PASTEL code of the CEASEMT system of structural mechanics programs. The main difficulties came from the modeling of the structure where several contact non-linearities existed; mainly, the slipping of the lead protection on the internal vessel and the fact that the internal load was just laid on the bottom of the internal vessel. (Auth.)