Human error cited in Army helicopter crash in Colorado
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 29-Jan-10
HeliHub.com report on this 19-Aug-09 accident is here
Medford man convicted of lasering helicopter
Source: Boston Globe, 29-Jan-10
A 51-year-old Medford man has been convicted of shining a green laser beam into a Massachusetts State Police helicopter
New safety checks ordered on North Sea helicopters
Source: STV, 27-Jan-10
see HeliHub.com Safety Documents page for relevant documentation
HAI President Attends Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference Meeting
Source: HAI, 25-Jan-10
On January 13 and 14, Helicopter Association International (HAI) President Matt Zuccaro attended a meeting of HAI affiliate, the Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference (HSAC), in New Orleans. The first day of the meeting involved HSAC committee work sessions addressing such issues as flight following/ADS-B implementation, HSAC-recommended safety procedures, and maintenance technologies. The second day consisted [...]
Helicopter wreckage located off the coast of AlmerÃa
Source: Typically Spanish, 25-Jan-10
HeliHub.com page for this accident can be found here
Helicopter Pilots – the Final Safety Gate
Source: HAI, 21-Jan-10
Generally, accidents are not the result of any one single event, but the product of several. My view is that every flight must pass through several gates in sequential order for the accident to happen — the final gate being the pilot. Logically, we as pilots have the final opportunity to prevent an accident. A [...]
Pilot error caused death of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
Source: Outlook India, 21-Jan-10
The helicopter crash which claimed the life of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S R Reddy was caused by pilots’ error who lost the chopper’s control and were engrossed for vital six minutes trying to locate a flight manual HeliHub.com page for this accident is here
HAI Announces Recipient of the 2010 AgustaWestland Safety Award
Source: HAI, 19-Jan-10
HAI is pleased to announce the 2010 AgustaWestland Safety Award recipient, Terry Palmer; Manager of Rotorcraft Programs, Flight Safety International, Dallas, Texas. Terry Palmer’s impressive aviation career began when she served on the airport board in Mesquite, Texas while obtaining her initial pilot ratings. Soon after, in 1989, she opened an FAA Part 141 Flight [...]
HeliHub.com Data Analysis – Review of fatal helicopter accidents in 2009
Source: HeliHub.com, 19-Jan-10
HeliHub.com Data Analysis – definitive and reliable reviews on key aspects of the global helicopter industry. We are launching this new series of articles with a statistical review of fatal helicopter accidents in 2009. HeliHub.com maintains an ongoing review of helicopter accidents throughout the year – see our Helicopter Accident page. Our review of fatal [...]
UK AAIB Bulletin – January 2010
Source: AAIB, 18-Jan-10
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accidents of:- Agusta A109A II, G-ELTE – at Redhill Aerodrome, Surry on 02-May-08 Eurocopter EC135 T1, G-CCAU – at Hindlip Hall, Hindlip, Worcestershire on 04-Dec-08
UK introduces new law to tackle aircraft laser crime
Source: CAA, 18-Jan-10
A new law that makes shining a light or laser at an aircraft a specific criminal offence has been introduced. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which initiated the new law, said it was in response to the growing number of incidents involving laser devices being shone at airliners and helicopters near British airports
Settlement Reached in “The Final Season” Helicopter Crash Lawsuit
Source: KCRG, 18-Jan-10
Accident involved Bell 206 N2877F on June 30, 2006
US Navy Develops Threat Warning System for Rotary-Wing Aircraft
Source: Defence Industry Daily, 16-Jan-10
Bond North Sea AS332 crash families aid 11 charities
Source: Scotsman, 15-Jan-10
More than £300,000 raised in memory of the 16 men killed in a Super Puma helicopter crash in the North Sea last year is to be distributed to 11 charities chosen by the bereaved families. Funds have also been set aside for a “symbol of remembrance” in a public garden in Aberdeen
Pilot in Meath helicopter crash admits error of judgment
Source: Irish Times, 15-Jan-10
Accident was on 18-Sep-08 at Bettystown, County Meath, and involved S76B registered N399BH
Helicopter surveillance could save lives in avalanche
Source: Salt Lake Tribune, 12-Jan-10
Search-and-rescue officials along the Wasatch Front hope long-range helicopter avalanche-beacon-receiver technology and training will get them to the victim before it happens.
Oil companies testify in Cougar S92 inquiry
Source: Toronto Sun, 12-Jan-10
Oil company executives at an offshore helicopter inquiry said safety is their top priority — even as a lawyer representing workers pushed to question them on why it took nine years to introduce underwater breathing devices onboard.
2009 bird strikes may exceed 10,000 – a first
Source: ABC, 12-Jan-10
Reports of airplanes hitting birds and other wildlife have soared in the year since a stricken US Airways jet landed in New York’s Hudson River, and the government’s tally for last year could reach or even exceed 10,000 for the first time.
Gulf of Mexico controllers start to use ADS-B technology
Source: FAA, 12-Jan-10
WASHINGTON — Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt announced today that Houston air traffic controllers are beginning to use an improved satellite-based system – Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) — to more efficiently and safely separate and manage aircraft flying over the Gulf of Mexico. “Safety is our highest priority at the U.S. Department of [...]
FAA issues unapproved parts notification – UH-1H high skid tubes from Isolair
11-Jan-10
No.: 2010 – 20080616008 Date: January 11, 2010 AFFECTED PRODUCTS: High Cross Tubes, Part number 9002 installed on UH-1H model helicopters
PHi S76 flight recorder reveals pilot’s last words in Jan-09 accident
Source: Daily Comet, 08-Jan-10
Refers to accident 04-Jan-2009 – HeliHub record of the accident is here.
USFS Safety Bulletin: Accident Prevention and Medications, Flying & Fitness
Source: USFS, 07-Jan-10
Subject: Medications, Flying, and Fitness Area of Concern: All Aviation Activities Distribution: All Aviation Users
NLR tackles helicopter brownouts
Source: NLR, 07-Jan-10
Due to blowing sand, a helicopter pilot’s in-flight visibility can be severely restricted during landings in deserts. At the request of the Dutch Ministry of Defence, the National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) has recently started working on finding solutions to support pilots during these precarious desert landings. Missions in Afghanistan and Iraq have made the issue [...]
Swiss Air Ambulance doctor killed by avalanche during rescue mission
Source: REGA press release translated and lightly edited., 06-Jan-10
On Sunday, a crew member of a REGA Swiss Air Ambulance helicopter was sadly killed while performing his job. Rega is extremely sad and condolences to the relatives of the deceased doctor and the relatives of the two who were killed also their heartfelt condolences. Rega had been called to an avalanche in Diemtigtal in [...]
Sikorsky settles Cougar S-92 lawsuit
Source: Winnipeg Free Press, 06-Jan-10
The families of passengers who died in the crash of a Sikorsky helicopter off the coast of Newfoundland last year, as well as the sole survivor of the tragedy, have reached a settlement in their lawsuit against the U.S. company.
FAA Launches New Safety Management System Resource
Source: FAA, 06-Jan-10
What is a Safety Management System (SMS)? SMS is the formal, top-down business approach to managing safety risk, which includes a systemic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies and procedures. (Order VS 8000.367) Welcome to the Aviation Safety Organization’s Safety Management System Website! This website was created as a public [...]
Helicopter industry website HeliHub.com sold to Jeremy Parkin
Source: HeliHub.com, 01-Jan-10
01-Jan-10 Weybridge, UK – We are pleased to announce that HeliHub.com has a new owner – Jeremy Parkin, based in the UK. Mr Parkin acquired all rights to the website from a private investor for an undisclosed sum, and management of all aspects of the site is moved from Florida to the UK with immediate [...]
Chopper pilot smoked dope before September 2007 crash
Source: NT News, 23-Dec-09
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation said the drug caused “impaired performance of complex tasks such as flying”. The chopper was also overloaded.
Defense Holdings Demonstrates AfterGlo® Photoluminescent Aviation Safety Paint On a VA Police Helicopter
Source: Rotornews, 16-Dec-09
Defense Holdings is demonstrating its revolutionary, patented AfterGlo® Brand Photoluminescent (PL) Aviation Safety Paint on the main and tail rotor blades of a Bell Helicopter Textron Model 407 helicopter belonging to the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Aviation Division. Sections of the rotor blades were painted in October 2009.
Probe finds pilot error caused Dhruv to crash in Ecuador
Source: Press Trust of India, 15-Dec-09
In a big relief to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, pilot error was found to have caused the crash of the defence PSU’s Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) “Dhruv” in Ecuador in October
Six-month suspended term for pilot who landed on Irish shopping centre roof
Source: Irish Times, 15-Dec-09
A HELICOPTER pilot who landed his aircraft on the roof of a shopping centre to collect a set of keys has been given a six-month suspended sentence and fined €5,000. The judge said the man seemed to lack a grasp of common sense.
NASA tests deployable energy absorber to reduce impact of hard landings
Source: Huffington Post, 13-Dec-09
A deployable energy absorber (think “honeycomb airbag”) may have some promise. NASA recently tested the technology by dropping a helicopter from 35 feet in the air.
Attorneys file lawsuits for Italian tourists killed in New York mid-air
Source: NorthJersey.com, 10-Dec-09
Five wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against the pilot of a Piper fixed-wing aircraft that collided over the Hudson River with a helicopter carrying Italian tourists.
No go for Ingham Hospital helipad
Source: North Queensland Register, 09-Dec-09
Member for Hinchinbrook, Andrew Cripps, has demanded answers from Health Minister Paul Lucas after concerns were raised the helipad at the Ingham Hospital still does not meet design specifications and Queensland Health will not let helicopters land on it.
Man Charged With ‘Lasing’ DPS Helicopter
Source: KPHO, 09-Dec-09
The Arizona Department Of Public Safety arrested a man who it said pointed a handheld laser at a police helicopter involved in a robbery pursuit.
Helicopter job that killed four not authorized
Source: TheHook, 09-Dec-09
An ill-fated powerline inspection with a helicopter that killed four people in Cranbrook, B.C. was technically against federal regulations, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Cowichan District Hospital helipad shut down
Source: Canada.com, 08-Dec-09
Transport Canada has shut down the helicopter landing facility at Cowichan District Hospital. On Nov. 18 the agency closed the helipad due to concerns about trees on a neighbouring property posing a safety hazard to the air ambulances.
FAA investigating whether helicopter at football game broke regulations
Source: Waco Tribune-Herald, 08-Dec-09
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether an area helicopter company violated federal regulations by circling around the Baylor University-University of Texas football game Nov. 14 at Floyd Casey Stadium. Brazos Helicopters was operating a Bell 47J
Arrius-equipped Ka226T among the best in class for safety and emissions
Source: http://www.rus-helicopters.ru/en/news/news_company/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=1758, 08-Dec-09
Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise (KumAPE) has completed tests of a Ka-226T fitted with Turbomeca engines. The model uses French Arrius 2G turboshafts and a Russian VR-226N gearbox.
Flight Safety Foundation Launches Helicopter Work Group in Australia
Source: Rotorhub, 07-Dec-09
Flight Safety Foundation announced today the creation of the Australian Helicopter Advisory Group – a subsidiary of Foundation’s Australian Advisory Board and its mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of helicopter safety and the prevention of accidents.
CHC launches 2010 Safety & Quality Summit
Source: AOPA, 03-Dec-09
CHC Helicopter has opened registration for the CHC Safety and Quality Summit, scheduled for March 22 through 24, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, with early-bird pricing until the end of 2009.
Eurocopter lightning test results verify finite element analysis
Source: FlightGlobal, 01-Dec-09
Lightning strike tests at Eurocopter’s Donauwörth facility have verified finite element analysis accuracy for carbonfibre structure current flow simulation, according to a European research consortium
Cougar S92 inquiry asks Defence Department for explanation
Source: Canada.com, 01-Dec-09
The head of the inquiry investigating last spring’s helicopter crash that killed 17 offshore oil workers and aircrew off the Newfoundland coast announced Wednesday he has asked the Defence Department to send a witness to explain the federal role in SAR
Lack of safety features cited in California EMS crash
Source: Washington Post, 28-Nov-09
A medical helicopter that crashed this month in the dark hills north of Reno, Nev., killing three, lacked safety features recommended for years by federal experts, including night vision equipment and a system to warn the crew when the aircraft was too close to obstacles or the ground.
Bond Offshore Helicopters EC225 North Sea ditching report delayed
Source: STV, 26-Nov-09
An official report to determine why a helicopter with 18 people on board ditched into the North Sea has been delayed, the Government announced on Tuesday.
Recent crashes fuel push for more regulation of medical helicopter industry
Source: Dallas Morning News, 22-Nov-09
Sikorsky S92 reportedly failed FAA dry gearbox test by 20 minutes
Source: Canadian Press, 22-Nov-09
A test to certify the model of helicopter involved in a fatal crash off Newfoundland showed it would remain airborne for “around 10 minutes” – about one third of the time required – if oil leaked from its gearbox, aviation regulators say.
Survival suits could have been safer, Cougar S92 crash inquiry hears
Source: CBC, 17-Nov-09
Emergency breathing devices for suits worn by passengers during offshore helicopter flights weren’t installed until nine years after they were first recommended and only after a helicopter crashed off the coast of Newfoundland in March, killing 17 people, an inquiry heard Monday.
FAA Finalizes Changes in Hudson River Airspace to Enhance Safety
Source: FAA, 17-Nov-09
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today finalized a federal rule, effective November 19, 2009, that will enhance safety by separating low-altitude, local aircraft flights over the Hudson River from flights transiting through the river airspace.
Lightning strike simulation project heralds easy protection design for modern composite structures
Source: CAD CAM News, 12-Nov-09
Lightning strike tests of a helicopter at Eurocopter’s Donauwörth facility have verified the accuracy of finite element analysis techniques for characterising the electromagnetic behaviour of complete and custom-cabled modern aircraft structures constructed using advanced composite materials.
Register for the Fall HAI Safety Forum & Government Contracting Committee Meeting
Source: http://www.rotor.com/Default.aspx?tabid=510&newsid905=62534, 06-Nov-09
The HAI Government Contracting Committee will meet in Boise, Idaho November 18, 19, and 20 at the Hilton Garden Inn Boise Spectrum
Mother of woman killed in helicopter crash files suit
Source: Tahlequah Daily Press, 05-Nov-09
The mother of a Tahlequah woman killed last month in a helicopter crash has filed suit against the pilot’s estate, his parents and Robinson Helicopter Co. See also our Accident data 15-Oct-09 N3234G Robinson R22 Tahlequah, US-Oklahoma
Crack found in Cougar S92 helicopter
Source: Globe and Mail, 04-Nov-09
Engineers have discovered a hairline crack in the gearbox of a Canadian-based Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, the latest chapter in an ongoing mechanical saga that has cast an investigative spotlight on the high-tech machine.
Now is the safest time to fly in helicopter, says oil executive
Source: Press & Journal, 04-Nov-09
An oil and gas industry leader says now is the safest time there has ever been to fly in a North Sea helicopter. Bob Keiller feels there is still no room for complacency, however. Mr Keiller is chairman of Oil & Gas UK’s helicopter task group, set up earlier this year to look at helicopter [...]
Fatal Helicopter Accident Lawsuit Filed Against Robinson Helicopter Co
Source: Aviation-Helicopter Accident Lawyers, 30-Oct-09
The family of Si Young Lee has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the three companies allegedly responsible for the August 2, 2007 helicopter accident that killed Mr. Lee and three other occupants when it crashed and erupted into flames in Easton, Washington, setting off a forest fire.
Rock allegedly thrown at helicopter in New Zealand
Source: Stuff, 13-Oct-09
A resident annoyed at frost-fighting helicopters allegedly flashed lights and threw a rock at a helicopter flying near Seddon in Marlborough early yesterday.
Relatives sue over Lake Tapps R44 accident
Source: News Tribune, 07-Oct-09
The relatives of a Lake Tapps-area man who died in a helicopter crash three years ago have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the aircraft’s manufacturer and some of its suppliers.
AAMS Hails White House Nomination of Rosekind to NTSB Board
Source: Vertical, 06-Oct-09
The Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) today applauded the White House for nominating Mark R. Rosekind, Ph.D., an expert on fatigue and its effects on productivity and safe flight operations, to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Angel MedFlight Battles Insurance Company for Accident Victim
Source: Angel MedFlight, 06-Oct-09
“Blue Cross did not deny coverage but dragged its feet in response to the family’s request despite federal law requiring health insurance companies to respond to emergency transportation requests within 48 hours,” said Michael Ward, staff counsel at Angel Medflight.
Family sues after R44 accident in October 2006
Source: Seattle Times, 05-Oct-09
The News Tribune of Tacoma reports the surviving children of Russell Lee Tom claim the helicopter he was piloting – a Robinson Helicopter Co. R44 – was poorly designed “defective and unsafe.” Their suit was filed in Pierce County Superior Court on Wednesday.
Fixed Wing Pilot’s Widow Sues Liberty Helicopters and Eurocopter Over Hudson Crash
Source: Huffington Post, 03-Oct-09
Pamela Altman sued tour company Liberty Helicopters, helicopter owner Meridian Consulting I Corp., manufacturer American Eurocopter and several of their insurers. Her suit charges that Liberty and Meridian have a “horrid history of accidents” and that American Eurocopter failed to equip the helicopter with sufficient safety equipment.
Helicopter parts vanish in crash investigation
Source: Seattle PI, 01-Oct-09
A federal report says that parts from a helicopter that crashed in California last year killing nine people have mysteriously disappeared.
Helicopter safety appears to be responding to treatment
Source: Flightglobal, 01-Oct-09
After more than 20 years of stagnation, global helicopter safety performance is showing signs of improvement.
Study Identifies Key Predictors of Critical Events That Occur During Air-Medical Transport
Source: RotorNews, 29-Sep-09
A new medical journal study, the largest of its kind to date, finds that 5 percent of urgent-care patients experience a critical event such as a major resuscitation, rapid loss of blood pressure, respiratory arrest and even death during air-medical transport
US pilots reported over 900 laser contacts in 2008
Source: Boston Globe, 28-Sep-09
Pilots flying over Massachusetts reported seeing laser beams flashed in their direction eight times during 2008, with the rays hitting everything from commercial airliners landing at Logan International Airport to a State Police helicopter to the blimp floating over a Red Sox playoff game, according to a review of FAA data.
Largest US Air Medical Transport Conference to Focus on Patient Care and Safety
Source: Vertical, 28-Sep-09
Opportunities for improving medical helicopter safety, traumatic brain injury (TBI) awareness and support, and a look at regulatory issues affecting helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) are among the topics of this year’s Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), the largest gathering of its kind in the nation.
FAA Safety Team Presents Erickson Air-Crane with two awards
Source: Vertical, 28-Sep-09
The FAA presented Erickson Air-Crane with a “Gold Certificate of Excellence” honoring Erickson’s participation in the FAA sponsored Aviation Maintenance Training program in 2008 as well as a “Special Recognition Award” signifying participation with the program for the past five years.
FAA Announces New Efforts to Respond to Safety Concerns
Source: FAA, 25-Sep-09
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt today announced a new focus on improving the agency’s response to public safety complaints and whistleblower contributions, as well as renewing efforts to ensure consistent interpretation of agency regulations and policies.
Cougar S92 makes emergency landing in Halifax after sensor indicates problem
Source: Amherst Daily News, 24-Sep-09
An official with the Newfoundland-based company said a chip indicator on the Sikorsky S-92 sensed there were lose fragments of material in the oil, which can cause problems in the main gearbox
New Platform Approach System Offers Enhanced Safety, Reduced Pilot Workload in Sikorsky S-92®
Source: Sikorsky, 24-Sep-09
Sikorsky announced the introduction of a new functionality offered on the S-92® helicopter to provide offshore oil operators with an automated approach that reduces cockpit workload and allows safer operations under challenging weather and operating conditions.
FAA Launches New Accident Prevention Office
Source: FAA, 24-Sep-09
As part of a strategy to reduce emerging aviation risks using national safety data, the agency’s Office of Aviation Safety today launched a new Accident Investigation and Prevention Service that integrates the work of the Offices of Accident Investigation and Safety Analytical Services.
HeliHub.com builds “The Helicopter Search Engine” with detailed accident data
Source: HeliHub.com, 22-Sep-09
Duxford, UK – 22 September 2009 – HeliHub.com today launches a major update at Helitech 2009, adding a range of safety-related information including detailed Accident data. Every known accident from 1st January 2009 is now listed, together with links to relevant web reports. As with our News data, we have provided “tags” against each key [...]
Eurocontrol warns North Sea pilots of kites at 1000′ agl
Source: Eurocontrol, 18-Sep-09
EUROCONTROL Agency has been informed of an incident that happened on 15 September 2009 over the Southern North Sea:
TUC joins BALPA call for North Sea air safety summit
Source: BALPA, 18-Sep-09
The TUC, meeting in Liverpool threw its weight behind a call from the pilots’ union BALPA (British Airline Pilots’ Association) for a North Sea oil and gas Safety Summit.
NTSB: New York fixed wing pilot had incorrect radio frequency
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, 18-Sep-09
he pilot of a small plane involved in an Aug. 8 midair collision over the Hudson River read back the wrong radio frequency to an air traffic controller but was not corrected by the controller, a federal safety official said yesterday.
