23-Oct-2013
Force landing in field during aerial application. Damage level not stated... Read more
23-Oct-2013
During a practice autorotation, after the helicopter landed, it slid about 8-10 feet forward and the skids sunk into soft terrain and rolled over. No injuries reported to 2 POB... Read more
22-Oct-2013Source: Honeywell
In a major contribution to advancements in helicopter safety, Honeywell (NYSE: HON) Aerospace has completed successful testing of a newly designed Synthetic Vision Avionics Backbone (SVAB) that enables helicopter operators to integrate multiple types of sensors with Honeywell’s Synthetic Vision System to provide pilots with a 3-D view of the outside world in degraded visual environments (DVE).... Read more
22-Oct-2013Source: HeliHub.com
This news item is part of the accident data provided by HeliHub.com on this site. Information provided in this update may potentially be incomplete or inaccurate as we frequently post these stories only a very short time after the accident has occurred. Users of HeliHub.com are advised to carry out their own checks and searches,... Read more
22-Oct-2013Source: HeliExperts
Over the weekend HeliExperts International LLC unveiled a new “Heliport Risk and Liability Assessment Toolkit” to the rotary wing community at this year’s Air Medical Transport Conference. This new heliport risk assessment program is centered around 15 specific categories that are based on FAA, NFPA and OSHA regulations and guidelines as well as industry best... Read more
22-Oct-2013
AS350B3 en route to pick up paediatric patient for a transfer flight crashed in Somerville early Tuesday morning, killing the pilot, a nurse and a respiratory therapist on board. This article later named them as Hospital Wing pilot Charles Smith, Pedi-Flight nurse Carrie Barlow, and Pedi-Flite respiratory therapist Denise Adams... Read more
22-Oct-2013
Skids ripped off and tail boom damaged in run-on landing at 50 knots after pilot had engine failure indications at 100ft altitude... Read more
21-Oct-2013Source: Oil & Gas UK
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has issued Special Bulletin S7/2013 as part of its on-going investigation into the tragic L2 helicopter accident on 23 August 2013 off Sumburgh Head, Shetland. The bulletin states that “to date, the wreckage examination and analysis of the recorded data have not found any evidence of a technical fault... Read more
21-Oct-2013Source: Step Change in Safety
The AAIB has issued a second special bulletin as part of its on-going investigation into the tragic helicopter accident on 23rd August off Sumburgh Head. Step Change in Safety’s Helicopter Steering Group (HSSG) welcomes this second bulletin and acknowledges the additional information that it contains. The first bulletin from the AAIB issued on 5th September... Read more
21-Oct-2013Source: HeliHub.com
The crash of a CHC Eurocopter AS332L2 Super Puma 1.5 nm west of Sumburgh Airport on 23 August 2013 as drawn a lot of comment and speculation. The British aircraft investigators – the Air Accicent Investigation Branch (AAIB) have issued a second bulletin on the accident – S7/2013 – AS332 L2 Super Puma, G-WNSB – now come... Read more
21-Oct-2013
Precautionary landing beside road after warning light illumination. Helicopter required maintenance support before being flown out... Read more
20-Oct-2013
Force landed in a field after bird strike... Read more
19-Oct-2013
Birdstrike, landed without incident but one of 3 POB suffered minor injuries... Read more
19-Oct-2013
Contacted trees while trimming them. Landed without incident... Read more
18-Oct-2013
Firefighting helicopter got bucket caught in powerlines. No mention of any damage to the helicopter, but the fire bucket was damaged and separated from the aircraft (not known if jetissoned or broke). Also, powerlines brought down... Read more
17-Oct-2013Source: NEMSPA
NEMSPA’s Cultural Health Assessment and Mitigation Program for Safety (CHAMPS) is in beta form and ready to be administered to a selection of air medical provider organizations in order to validate the question-set. Tom Judge, past Chair of the Association for Critical Care Transport had this to say about this safety culture assessment tool: “Throughout... Read more
17-Oct-2013
Hard landing and rollover onto port side. 2 POB injured. Helicopter was making a precautionary landing at 9.30pm in a pasture due to reducing visibility.... Read more
16-Oct-2013Source: HAI
The heads of four of general aviation’s biggest, most influential associations on Tuesday, October 15, called on President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to quickly restore critical FAA safety programs whose shutdown is threatening substantial economic harm to the entire industry. In a letter to the three... Read more
16-Oct-2013
Crashed in mountainous area shortly after take-off from weather station it had lifted supplies up to. The deceased were identified as pilot Chang Kuo-kang (had flown 3181 hours), co-pilot Lin Yi-chi (2832 hours) and bureau worker Chen Wen-chung... Read more
16-Oct-2013
Main blades struck tree during aerial work operations... Read more
15-Oct-2013Source: WBFF Fox 45
Pilot error was the reason a state medevac helicopter hit the tarmac without its landing gear deployed last month, state police confirmed see full story See also HeliHub.com page for this incident 25-Sep-13 N95MD Eurocopter AS365N3 Leonardtown, US-Maryland... Read more
15-Oct-2013
During a frost protection exercise, the tail rotor struck grape vine cables. The aircraft was flown back to base and the post-flight inspection revealed damage was sustained by the tail rotor blades, stabilisers and the tail boom. ... Read more
15-Oct-2013
The aircraft was about to land in a soccer pitch. The pilot suffered a momentary spatial disorientation due to the dust raised by the helicopter main rotor wash. In face of the unexpected difficulty, the pilot proceeded to land with an excessive pitch-up attitude, causing the tail rotor protective rod and the left lower vertical... Read more
15-Oct-2013
Crashed in mountainous region close to Venezeulan border. No casualties... Read more
15-Oct-2013
Military aircraft down, US embassy in UAE confirms US passport holder (but UAE resident) pilot died. Pilot was reportedly the only person on board.... Read more
14-Oct-2013Source: HAI
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing October 11, receiving testimony from the Chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), learning that the NTSB has had to suspend activities for 1,300 active investigations, including several high-profile probes. NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman urged Senators to take action to permit the NTSB to resume its... Read more
14-Oct-2013
Conducting a hoist training in front of a hanger located adjacent to Kumamoto Airport. While hovering at 60ft, it encountered close proximity to other aircraft. Reported distance between two aircraft was 50ft horizontally.... Read more
14-Oct-2013
Helicopter contacted power lines on take off from Antraigues sur Volane (07) for flight to Castle Cachard (07)... Read more
13-Oct-2013
Emergency field landing after ingesting a bird... Read more
13-Oct-2013
Lifting into a hover the pilot noticed the needles were at the bottom of the green range, and while more power was added, the pilot also applied pedal to face into wind. This resulted in a faster decay of power available, with the aircraft loosing height, then landing heavily and rolling over. The main rotor blades and tail... Read more
12-Oct-2013
Crashed and burned out approx one mile from take-off point in a wooded area, killing 66-year-old pilot from Miedzychód and 64-year-old passenger from Gorzow Wielkopolski... Read more
12-Oct-2013
The aircraft took off on a mission to monitor sources of fire in the region. Thirty minutes into flight, the aircraft was at an altitude of 2 000 ft AGL and at a speed of 100 KIAS, when the warning light indicating iron-dust in the engine illuminated. This was followed by a strong noise, and... Read more
11-Oct-2013
Legislator Margarita Ferra de Bartol died of her wounds in hospital, while San Juan Governor Jose Luis Gioja suffered several bruises. Three other passengers were also injured. This video shows brownout conditions at low level, then a flash as the helicopter contacts with powerlines. Initial accident report here... Read more
11-Oct-2013
Force landed in the desert due to smoke in the cabin. Pilot and two passengers got out OK. Helicopter consumed by fire... Read more
11-Oct-2013
Pilot/owner Caroll Palmer and his son Benjamin Palmer were on board when the helicopter went down shortly after take off... Read more
10-Oct-2013Source: AAIB
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue does not refer to any helicopters and this update is included in HeliHub.com for completeness... Read more
9-Oct-2013
Helicopter took off from platform Main Pass 107 and crashed straight into the water. Pilot (named here as Patrick Becnel) fatally injured, three passengers (employees of Wood Group) rescued by USCG helicopter – two seriously injured and one uninjured. Popout floats were deployed but helicopter turned over and was suspended under water by the floats... Read more
9-Oct-2013
Contacted wires while inspecting high-voltage transmission towers, causing the helicopter to crash into the Sai Bo La Yu Canal in Tambon Thepa. Occupants, reported as ten in number (to inspect powerlines??) all escaped without serious injury... Read more
9-Oct-2013
S92 returned to airport after burning smell in cabin. Safe landing... Read more
7-Oct-2013
Inadvertently landed in a mine field. Occupants escaped unharmed but helicopter later consumed by fire.... Read more
6-Oct-2013
Kurt West of Massachusetts said the Dec. 2008 crash in New Hampshire was caused by a mechanical failure that triggered a loss of power and that the incident caused him post-traumatic stress disorder and inflamed a pre-existing gastrointestinal syndrome. He was suing Bell, Rolls Royce and Goodrich for a combined $4M See full story See also... Read more
6-Oct-2013Source: HeliHub.com
The US Government shut-down, which became effective on Tuesday 1st October is affecting practically all departments and about 800,000 federal workers have been laid off temporarily without pay. From a helicopter industry point of view, we have seen that Sikorsky will put 2,000 employees on leave if the shut-down continues on Monday 7th. The FAA... Read more
6-Oct-2013
Training accident, ended up on its side. Instructor and student not injured... Read more
5-Oct-2013
Joshua Fitts, 34, of West Hurricane, Utah, was killed about 12:20 p.m. when the tail rotor of the McDonnell Douglas helicopter crashed after clipping a transmission line pulley, called a sheave... Read more
5-Oct-2013
Force landed and rolled over. Sole occupant pilot walked away from crash.... Read more
5-Oct-2013
Grand Central Airport emergency services tweeted : “Precautionary landing (RCF) at Grand Central Airport. Dauphin AS365 Helicopter. Reg: FW-TAZ (French). All safe”. We’re not sure why the reg isn’t presented correctly as F-WTAZ, but there you go!... Read more
4-Oct-2013Source: Universal Helicopters
Universal Helicopters (UHI) with locations in Arizona, Utah, Kansas, and California, would like to announce that their annual Safety and Standardization Seminar (SSS) has received the necessary FAA approval to conduct its SSS as a Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC). This FIRC was added as an additional course to UHI’S existing approved 141 course list.... Read more
4-Oct-2013Source: Bristow Helicopters
Holding Statement – Precautionary Landing in the Norwegian Sector Date: Friday 4 October 2013 Time: 2030 hrs Bristow Helicopters Ltd can confirm that one of its Sikorsky S-92 helicopters operating out of Stavanger, Norway, made a safe precautionary landing on an offshore installation after a cockpit warning light illuminated at approximately 1700 hrs today, Friday... Read more
4-Oct-2013
Capt. Christian Uy, spokesperson of the army’s 4th Infantry Division, said that the Huey made an emergency landing in Balingasag Friday morning when the pilot noticed a mechanical malfunction... Read more
4-Oct-2013
The pilot noticed that the engine turbine temperature had increased to close to its maximum limit and prepared to make a precautionary landing. During the approach the indication returned to normal, so he decided to continue the short distance to his destination. As the helicopter climbed away, the engine failed. The pilot carried out a... Read more
4-Oct-2013
Emergency landing on unmanned offshore platform. 12 offshore workers and 2 crew were rescued by Norwegian Air Force SAR Sea King. Weather reported as 200m visibility and emergency was called 17 km from the rig it landed on.... Read more
4-Oct-2013
Written off when it crashed into a road in built-up area. Three of the four occupants and a passing pedestrian were injured. Authorities indicate that the helicopter’s AMI (Annual Inspection Maintenance) and CA (Certificate of Airworthiness) expired in June and April 2012 respectively.... Read more
3-Oct-2013Source: ATSB
A helicopter accident at Horn Island has shown the challenges that can accompany night operations, as well as the speed with which things can suddenly go wrong. The accident occurred on 13 June 2013. At about 7.24 pm, a Bell 412 helicopter departed Horn Island, Queensland on a training flight to Prince of Wales Island... Read more
3-Oct-2013
Details unknown but reported as a training flight. Photo of recovery shows tail blades bent round... Read more
3-Oct-2013
While practicing pedal jams, during third exercise, nose yawed past centre and then got away from the student in control. The helicopter yawed left and rotated two times during which the engine went silent. Instructor took control and settled the helicopter in a hard landing from approximately 8ft. The helicopter’s tail struck ground and then... Read more
2-Oct-2013
Unidentified militants shot down a military helicopter in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing all four crew members, police sources said.... Read more
2-Oct-2013
“Collision with terrain”. Operator specialises in agricultural work. CADORS 2013Q2216... Read more
2-Oct-2013
Training flight, skid clipped ground during hovering practice and helicopter rolled onto its starboard side with fuel leaking from it (photo). Neither student Charles Fink or instructor Raymond Daniel were injured... Read more
2-Oct-2013
Solo student pilot ran out of altitude on a practice engine-out autorotation landing and hit the tail boom on the ground.... Read more
1-Oct-2013Source: NEMSPA
In its ever continuing quest to enhance industry safety, the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA) is sponsoring a four hour workshop on heliport design and safety at this year’s Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This 4-hour workshop will focus on the basic information that every air medical helicopter provider and heliport... Read more
1-Oct-2013Source: IHST
The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), in cooperation with safety experts from throughout the civil helicopter industry, has developed new safety leaflets focused on controlled flight into terrain and defensive helicopter flying. The IHST now offers a total of 19 safety bulletins and leaflets aimed at enhancing helicopter operations and reducing accidents. The safety bulletins... Read more
1-Oct-2013Source: Bristow Group
Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS), a leading provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry, announced today that it has appointed Steve Predmore Vice President and Chief Safety Officer responsible for providing leadership and technical expertise to Bristow’s global operations related to safety, safety auditing, health and environmental matters. Bristow President and CEO Bill... Read more
1-Oct-2013Source: SmartPilot.ca
Canada’s single source web portal for all things related to flying safely has now been live for four months and is taking flight! The site is a one-stop source for information, interactive courses and content rich videos – all focussed on helping pilots stay fresh and current about flight operations. And as our registered users... Read more
1-Oct-2013Source: FAA
Before emergency medical services pilot Rex Orgill flies a helicopter rescue mission from his base in Salt Lake City, he checks a new NextGen weather forecasting tool to see what the visibility will be like at the pickup site. Orgill is a pilot with Intermountain Life Flight in Utah. Intermountain Life Flight helicopters are airborne... Read more
1-Oct-2013Source: FAA
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced that Ukraine complies with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), based on the results of a July FAA review of Ukraine’s civil aviation authority. Ukraine is now upgraded to Category 1 from the Category 2 safety rating the country... Read more
1-Oct-2013Source: Bell
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), announced today it will hold a regional safety symposium for rotorcraft pilots and technicians from across Russia on Thursday, October 3 at the Marriott Moscow Grand. The third symposium of its type offered by Bell Helicopter this year, the safety symposium educates maintainers and operators on common... Read more
30-Sep-2013
Indian Air Force helicopter made an emergency landing in Maktanpar town near Wankaner taluka of Morbi district today due to a technical snag, officials from the force said... Read more
29-Sep-2013Source: US Coast Guard
Pilot error was identified as the primary cause of the crash of a Mobile, Alabama-based MH-65 Dolphin helicopter that killed all four crew on board during a training flight over Mobile Bay, Ala., Feb. 28, 2012, according to a final action memo released here, Thursday. A lack of established flight manual procedures for inadvertently entering instrument flight conditions, and... Read more
29-Sep-2013Source: TSB Canada
A helicopter pilot who took off more than an hour after sunset likely crashed after becoming spatially disoriented, according to an investigation report (A11Q0168) released today by the Transportation Safety Board (TSB). The accident, which occurred on 27 August 2011, killed the pilot and the three other occupants shortly after takeoff. All had been flying in... Read more
29-Sep-2013
Helicopter en route from Juhu aerodrome in Mumbai to Aurangabad descended due to bad weather, hit high tension cables and crashed killing all five on board – named here as pilot Capt. SS Bhaduria, co-pilot Captain Allen Martin, Capt. Anshu Matta, Engg Yatin Wakade and Technician Dean D’Souza.... Read more
29-Sep-2013
Crashed and subsequently completely burnt out. Pilot Donald Purden conscious and alert... Read more
29-Sep-2013
Struck powerlines on agricultural operations, cutting power to around 500 homes. In ensuing manoeuvre, main blades cut tail boom. Pilot not injured... Read more
29-Sep-2013
UN helicopter developed a technical fault en route Zalingei to Nertiti, in Central Darfur. Pilot turned back to Zalingei helipad and during the emergency landing the aircraft crashed and was badly damaged. All 19 passengers and 4 crew were safely evacuated, of which three passengers suffered minor injuries... Read more
27-Sep-2013Source: TSB Canada
The sunken Canadian Coast Guard helicopter, which crashed on 9 September 2013, has been successfully recovered from the Arctic Ocean. A team consisting of the Canadian Coast Guard’s CCGS Amundsen and CCGS Henry Larsen, ArcticNet and the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has been working to recover the helicopter since its discovery on Monday afternoon. Thanks to the technical expertise... Read more
