25-Jul-2011Source: FAA
Contractors have been told to stop work on critical airport modernization projects around the country after Congress failed to pass legislation on Friday giving the FAA the authority necessary for work to continue. Dozens of “stop work orders†have been issued for major projects designed to build and modernize control towers and other aviation infrastructure... Read more
25-Jul-2011
Bryan Law 57 from Cairns Peace by Peace and Graeme Dunstan, 67 of Peace Bus were both arrested and placed in custody after being allegedly involved with damaging a Tiger attack helicopter at Rockhampton airport on Thursday. Law will face five charges in a Rockhampton court on August 5, including two counts of wilful damage,... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: Night Flight Concepts
At this year’s Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) 41st Annual Conference & Exposition, Night Flight Concepts, a premier provider of comprehensive night vision solutions, and Delta P, a consulting company specializing in aerospace physiology, are pleased to unveil a new educational website, LaserStrikeProtection.com. The site is dedicated to helping aviation organizations understand and mitigate the... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Thailand has today suffered a third fatal helicopter accident in just nine days, claiming a total of 17 lives. All three are operationally related – the third involved in the rescue of the second, which was itself on a mission related to the first accident. On 16th July, a Bell UH-1H crashed in Petchaburi Province,... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board is offering two investigative courses and one transportation disaster response course over the next two months at its training center just outside Washington, D.C. The five-day ROTORCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION course (Aug. 22-26) provides participants with a comprehensive overview of the procedures and methods used and the skills required with all... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: Nordic Rotors
In a recently published incident report the Swedish Accident Investigation Board (Statens Haverikommission, SHK) aims criticism at the Swedish helicopter search and rescue (SAR) organization. The report itself deals with a ship incident that occurred on 2 December 2008. The RORO cargo/passenger vessel M/S Sea Wind was en-route from Turku (Finlad) to Stockholm (Sweden) when... Read more
21-Jul-2011Source: Barry Cordage
To: All helicopter longline owners and users Barry was made aware of a recent incident involving a longline, which we believe should be communicated to the industry. This incident was reported to us by one of our test pilots who was flying with a synthetic longline protected by a hook-and-loop (Velcro) jacket made by another... Read more
21-Jul-2011Source: NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. Federal government agency charged by the U.S. Congress with investigating transportation accidents, determining their probable cause, and making recommendations to prevent similar accidents from occurring. We are providing the following information to urge your organization to take action on the safety recommendations in this letter.... Read more
21-Jul-2011Source: BBC
A gamekeeper from Wiltshire has been found guilty of endangering an aircraft after he drove his Land Rover straight at a low-flying army helicopter. (Full story) – see also HeliHub.com page for this accident... Read more
19-Jul-2011Source: UK MoD
Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox has today published the conclusions of an independent review into the Chinook Mk2 helicopter crash of June 1994 on the Mull of Kintyre which tragically resulted in the deaths of all 29 people on board. The review, led by Lord Philip and assisted by three Privy Counsellors, examined the evidence... Read more
19-Jul-2011
Just prior to touchdown the tail rotor struck a hedge and a concrete post, damaging the tail rotor and its gearbox. There were no injuries. On arrival at an industrial depot the normal landing position had been obstructed by two articulated lorries.... Read more
14-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com is having increasing success with its “Gallery†feature, recording over 7,000 images in its main Gallery, and about 170 photographers have joined as members of the Gallery. The Flickr gallery provides users of HeliHub.com the opportunity to upload their own photos, and the early success is demonstrating just how valuable this will become over... Read more
14-Jul-2011
Fell off side of helipad after landing... Read more
11-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
The team at HeliHub.com provide a record of as many helicopter accidents and incidents as we can. Inevitably this includes what we believe to be the full list of fatal helicopter accidents, and we are presenting here the summary for June 2011. We indicate the number of fatalities in the summary line with the number... Read more
7-Jul-2011Source: HAI
Over the 40-plus years that I have been in the helicopter industry, I—like many of you—have experienced the expression of negative comments from the public, elected officials and press regarding helicopter operations. A good part of my day at HAI involves my response to such comments. These thoughts are not limited to any particular helicopter... Read more
7-Jul-2011Source: American Eurocopter
Grand Prairie, Texas – American Eurocopter announced today that it has appointed the 2011 Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award Blue Ribbon Committee. This committee will be responsible for evaluating the applications and determining the winner for the 2011 Vision Zero Aviation Safety award. This prestigious award was established by American Eurocopter with the purpose of... Read more
7-Jul-2011Source: 3News
Helicopter pilot Jim Shewan has spoken for the first time about the crash in February that almost cost him his life – and the titanium plates in his skull he has to remind him. (full story)... Read more
5-Jul-2011
Aviation manufacturer Sikorsky has lost another court challenge in its attempt to move a lawsuit over the fatal 2009 Cougar Helicopters crash to the U.S. The company has argued that a pending lawsuit should be heard in Connecticut, where the company is based. (full story)... Read more
5-Jul-2011Source: AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the SESAR Programme has paved way to enhanced helicopter operations. Patrick Ky, Chief Executive of the SESAR Joint Undertaking, met with helicopter manufacturers and operators to review the progress made since the inclusion of the rotorcraft sector in the SESAR programme. ‘The involvement of Rotorcraft operators... Read more
5-Jul-2011
While cruising at 150 kt at 750 ft agl a bird struck and shattered the left windshield. The commander, seated in the left seat, suffered minor injuries so the co-pilot took control and made a successful emergency landing. The Agusta A109C’s windshield is not designed to withstand bird strikes and the regulations do not require it to... Read more
4-Jul-2011Source: FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) today announced agreement (PDF) on important fatigue recommendations that were developed by a joint FAA-NATCA working group which was established under the 2009 collective bargaining agreement. “The American public must have confidence that our nation’s air traffic controllers are rested and ready to... Read more
2-Jul-2011Source: KLTV
A federal investigator says a Central Texas helicopter crash that killed a retired Austin firefighter apparently happened when the aircraft’s main rotor blades came off in flight. see full press story See also HeliHub.com page for this accident – 27-Jun-11 N7779M Robinson R22 Garfield, US-Texas (1F)... Read more
30-Jun-2011Source: FAA
This action establishes helicopter RNAV routes as part of the U.S. air traffic service route (ATS) structure and designates two helicopter RNAV routes (TK-routes) in the northeast corridor between the Washington, DC, and New York City metropolitan areas. The TK-routes are for use by helicopters having IFR-approved Global Positioning System (GPS)/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)... Read more
29-Jun-2011Source: Hong Kong Civil Aviation Dept
In accordance with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations, an inspector’s investigation is in progress to determine the circumstances and causes of the accident involving an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter (registration mark B-MHJ) operated by East Asia Airlines at Victoria Harbour on July 3, 2010. According to the requirements of Annex 13 to... Read more
29-Jun-2011Source: TSB
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) gives Satisfactory Intent rating on responses to four recommendations stemming from its investigation into the 12 March 2009 Sikorsky S-92A helicopter crash. For helicopters certified in the future, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transport Canada (TC) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have all agreed to review the certification rules. “But it... Read more
29-Jun-2011Source: HAI
On June 23, the FAA issued a proposal to clarify the use of seat belts and seating requirements of General Aviation flights pertaining to 14 CFR 91.107(a)(3). Prior interpretations of the law state that the shared use of a single restraint may be permissible. The proposed clarification states that the use of a seat belt... Read more
27-Jun-2011Source: NTSB
Top 10 critical changes needed to reduce transportation accidents and save lives The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today announced its new list of the most critical transportation issues that need to be addressed to improve safety and save lives. The new “Most Wanted List” highlights 10 safety issues that impact transportation nationwide. The announcement... Read more
24-Jun-2011Source: Eurosafety
EuroSafetys iSafety App is ESI’s latest effort in their goal to improve airframe knowledge and safety in the helicopter community. The iSafety App is designed to provide a method to review caution panel emergency procedures from various aircraft. The first version of the app contains the caution panel procedures for the AS350B2, AS350B3, EC120B, EC130B4.... Read more
23-Jun-2011Source: Lee County MedStar
Lee County, FL (June 22, 2011) – Lee County Emergency Medical Services (LCEMS) implemented a “stand down†of its MEDSTAR flight operations for a safety review at 7 a.m. Wednesday, June 22. MEDSTAR will resume operations at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1 with its recently acquired Bell 430 helicopter. Bayflite has agreed to relocate one... Read more
22-Jun-2011Source: Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins, in collaboration with multiple helicopter operators*, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Eurocontrol, and the Netherlands Civil Aviation Administration, recently completed an operational evaluation to successfully validate automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) out airworthiness requirements for helicopters operating over the North Sea. The multi-year project, of which Rockwell Collins was a leading participant,... Read more
15-Jun-2011Source: State of Colorado
DENVER — Monday, June 13, 2011 — Gov. John Hickenlooper today ordered flags be lowered to half-staff on all public buildings statewide on Wednesday, June 15, in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth White, who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month. Flags should be lowered from sunrise to sunset. White, 35, died on June... Read more
12-Jun-2011Source: HeliHub.com
In December 2009, Erickson Air-Crane announced that San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) company was their first non-governmental sale for the Air-Crane. In the last week this helicopter has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons with not one but two lifting incidents. Fortunately the helicopter was not damaged in either event, but the... Read more
10-Jun-2011Source: AAIB
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accidents of:- Eurocopter AS355F2 Twin Squirrel, G-SEWP – 28 October 2010 Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland Robinson R44 II Raven, G-EEZR – 22 March 2011 – Fairoaks Airport, Surrey... Read more
10-Jun-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Mount Ebrus in the Caucasus Mountains in the southern part of Russia is the highest mountain in Europe. Yesterday it hosted the dubious honour of a double helicopter crash. Firstly a Robinson R44 on a tourist flight crashed at an altitude of 3,800 metres, reportedly due to poor visibility. The emergency authority EMERCOM sent a... Read more
9-Jun-2011Source: NEMSPA
In answer to the many questions regarding the FAA’s new heliport advisory circular rewrite efforts I would like to offer up the views of the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA). Given the huge impact and importance this particular advisory circular has on the entire helicopter industry and our community at every level and the fact... Read more
9-Jun-2011Source: Express Tribune
A five-member committee has been constituted to probe the helicopter crash that killed Major General Muhammad Nawaz, DG rangers Punjab. The committee will be headed by AVN Riazul Haq, deputy director general Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). See article in Express Tribune See also HeliHub.com page for this accident... Read more
8-Jun-2011Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com has expanded its coverage of helicopter accidents and incidents with an index by helicopter type. The link to this page follows, and can be found in the Safety menu option. https://www.helihub.com/safety-data-by-helicopter-type/ This allows quick access of the accidents and incidents to a given make/model for the website user to review and draw conclusions. HeliHub.com... Read more
3-Jun-2011Source: CHC
When operating his AS332L Super Puma, a CHC pilot noticed something out of the ordinary. Upon selecting the landing gear down, his cockpit indicator said otherwise. Despite feeling and hearing the landing gear move into place, the indicators still showed one of the gears in the ‘up’ position. This was not the first time such... Read more
3-Jun-2011Source: FAA
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt announced today that the FAA will begin to impose civil penalties against people who point a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft. “Our top priority is protecting the safety of the traveling public. We will not hesitate to take tough action... Read more
2-Jun-2011Source: HAI
Helicopter Association International President Matt Zuccaro conveys the support of HAI and its members for recent FAA action to impose civil penalties upon individuals who point lasers at aircraft cockpits. “The helicopter industry is most susceptible to this safety hazard due to the lower altitude mission profiles we fly in both urban and rural locals. We are... Read more
1-Jun-2011Source: InfoNews
Over The Top have received safety award honours from HAI, annually since joining in 1999, this 2010 award being the twelfth year that Over The Top have been awarded this prestigious award. The only New Zealand Company to do so.... Read more
1-Jun-2011Source: Toronto Sun
An electrical problem caused a Quebecor news helicopter to lose power and crash near a Montreal movie studio in December 2009, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has found. TSB investigators said the circuit breaker that feeds the clutch system was activated during the flight, interrupting the power supply. See also HeliHub.com page for this... Read more
31-May-2011Source: Today's Zaman
A police helicopter that crashed into the waters of the Bosporus Strait last week might have been sabotaged, with the surviving pilot saying the engine and rotor of the aircraft experienced unusual vibration, which investigators say might have been caused by electromagnetic waves.... Read more
26-May-2011Source: Campbell Helicopters
ABBOTSFORD, BRITISH COLUMBIA– – 54-year-old Jean-Luc Deba has been named as the deceased pilot who manned a Bell 212 helicopter from the Campbell Helicopters’ fleet in Abbotsford on Friday, May 20. The helicopter was engaged in battling the blazes in Canyon Creek, 24 kilometres west of Slave Lake Alberta. The helicopter went down in shallow... Read more
26-May-2011Source: HAI
On Thurs. June 9, 2011, HAI and the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) will be presenting two events at the Hilton Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn. Overview of Current Trends in Helicopter Safety Starting at 9:30 a.m. – Stan Rose, director of Safety for HAI; Fred Brisbois of Sikorsky and the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST); and William... Read more
25-May-2011
An investigation of a fatal helicopter crash in the mountains above Santa Fe nearly two years ago has found blame with both the pilot and the state police organization he worked for... Read more
24-May-2011Source: Star Advertiser
Metal fatigue probably caused a left rear landing skid strut to collapse on a helicopter operated by K&S Helicopters Inc. at the Turtle Bay Resort Heliport in 2009, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. HeliHub.com accident report page at 20-Nov-09 N551CR MD Helicopters MD369E Oahu, US-Hawaii... Read more
24-May-2011Source: Thunder Bay Daily
A former Thunder Bay filmmaker seriously injured in a Pennsylvania helicopter crash has died. Greg Jacobsen, 33, passed away on the weekend after spending more than three weeks in intensive care in an Allentown, Pa. hospital following the April 30 accident.  HeliHub.com page for this accident is here. [File photo]... Read more
24-May-2011Source: HeliHub.com
A fatal Turkish police SA318C Alouette II crash on Friday has raised a number of questions. The National Police Department Aviation Unit has launched an investigation into the crash, which occurred during a flight to examine Ä°stanbul’s city MOBESE security cameras, which are installed in many streets across the city. The four people killed in... Read more
24-May-2011Source: NTSB
WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)will hold a public Board meeting on Tuesday, May, 24, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. (EDT), in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center at 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W. (Please note the changes to the Board Room directions). There are two agenda items: 1.   On August 9, 2010, a... Read more
24-May-2011Source: HeliHub.com
As a number of airlines including British Airways, Flybe and Loganair cancel flights, North Sea helicopter operators appear to be following suit. Bond Offshore Helicopters has already cancelled return flights for BP from Aberdeen to both “Well Enhancer” and “Island Constructor”, as well as another return flight for ConocoPhilips from Aberdeen to jackup rig “Ensco... Read more
20-May-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Initial reports from India on the Pawan Hans AS350B3 crash on 30th April are pointing to the aircraft being only VFR equipped and thus unable to handle IMC conditions. However, weather conditions were reportedly not conducive to VFR operations in the accident which claimed the lives of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four... Read more
18-May-2011Source: Connecticut Post
Sikorsky Aircraft unit has been cited by Pentagon inspectors for a safety part defect, after two failures in four months on new Army and Navy H-60 Black Hawk helicopters, according to officials.  The failures occurred during acceptance testing before delivery, according to the DCMA... Read more
18-May-2011Source: OilVoice
Offshore helicopter services provider CHC Helicopter will share its experience of operating in the challenging North Sea oil and gas environment at a global rescue services conference in the Netherlands later this month.... Read more
18-May-2011Source: Oil & Gas UK
Oil & Gas UK is to host a one-day seminar with the aim of bringing together leading figures in the oil and gas and aviation industries to discuss offshore helicopter safety. The event, which is sponsored by Aker Solutions, is the sixth annual Aviation Seminar organised by Oil & Gas UK and will feature a... Read more
15-May-2011Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com maintains what we believe to be the most comprehensive record of helicopter accidents and incidents on the internet. Here is our report for April 2011 Useful Links * Civil Accidents * Military Accidents * Fatal Accidents – both civil and military * Safety News April 2011 was a month with both good and bad... Read more
15-May-2011Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com maintains what we believe to be the most comprehensive record of helicopter accidents and incidents on the internet. Here is our report for March 2011 Useful Links * Civil Accidents * Military Accidents * Fatal Accidents – both civil and military * Safety News March 2011 was a very poor month for the number... Read more
15-May-2011Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com maintains what we believe to be the most comprehensive record of helicopter accidents and incidents on the internet. Here is our report for February 2011 Useful Links * Civil Accidents * Military Accidents * Fatal Accidents – both civil and military * Safety News February 2011 was another good month for helicopter accidents, likely... Read more
15-May-2011Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com maintains what we believe to be the most comprehensive record of helicopter accidents and incidents on the internet. Here is our report for January 2011 Useful Links * Civil Accidents * Military Accidents * Fatal Accidents – both civil and military * Safety News January 2011 was another good month for helicopter accidents, likely... Read more
15-May-2011Source: 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
13-May-2011Source: HAI
HAI urges all pilots and maintenance professionals to read the FAA’s proposed legal interpretation on various provisions in the regulations applicable to airworthiness directives. Comments must be provided no later than Mon, May 16, 2011 through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov or in writing to: Docket Operations, M-30 U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.... Read more
10-May-2011Source: Valair
Valair have announced that Robinson’s Tim Tucker will be running the first Robinson Safety Course to be held in Switzerland. Scheduled for July 1-3, Robinson’s Chief Instructor will be conducting the course in English for up to 36 students. A minimum of 25 will ensure the course goes ahead. The course is priced at 790... Read more
10-May-2011Source: HeliHub.com
The team at HeliHub.com provide a record of as many helicopter accidents and incidents as we can. Inevitably this includes what we believe to be the full list of fatal helicopter accidents, and we are presenting here the summary for May 2011. We indicate the number of fatalities in the summary line with the number... Read more
9-May-2011Source: CAA
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is once again calling for nominations for its annual General Aviation Safety Award. The Award seeks to honour individuals and teams who, through skill and determination, have made a lasting contribution to GA flight safety. Whether it is a ’one off’ incident, or a lifetime of campaigning work, the... Read more
9-May-2011Source: FAA
Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Randy Babbitt announced additional management changes and other actions today as part of the FAA’s comprehensive review of the air traffic control system. Three veteran FAA managers will be repositioned to assume oversight of critical air traffic roles: Walt Cochran will oversee Terminal Operations, where he will be responsible for all... Read more
6-May-2011Source: AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce the launch of the annual OGP Aviation Safety Advisors Training Programme. This new initiative will provide aviation safety advisors from the Oil & Gas with a high level technical overview of the AW139 helicopter, training and support infrastructure, with the first event planned for September 2011 in... Read more
5-May-2011Source: DNA India
In the wake of Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu’s death in the crash of an AS350B3 last week, the opposition BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has demanded that all helicopters belonging to the government-owned Pawan Hans be subjected to “thorough and rigid” inspection.... Read more
5-May-2011Source: Arizona Republic
The company sought dismissal, with its attorneys arguing that Arizona has almost no connection to the lawsuit and that the accident wreckage, aircraft records and accident witnesses are all believed to be located in Turkey in the custody of the national police.... Read more
4-May-2011Source: CHC
Does Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) have a role in Risk Assessment? FDM is a powerful safety tool that studies operational trends. When a concerning trend is noticed a Risk Assessment is done, addressing the trend before an incident occurs. For example, at one airfield, the FDM system recorded data that indicated helicopters were making turns... Read more
3-May-2011Source: Press & Journal
The partners of two crewmen killed in the April 2009 North Sea helicopter disaster are taking legal action worth more than £4million. Captain Paul Burnham, 31, and co-pilot Richard Menzies, 24, died along with 14 oil workers when their Super Puma helicopter crashed off Peterhead on its return from BP’s Miller platform.... Read more
2-May-2011Source: Assam Tribune
Assam Government has expressed its reservations on availing services of single-engine choppers for any of its future trips. Spokesperson Rockybul Hussain said that the State Government would now be “very cautious and selective” in chartering aircraft... Read more
1-May-2011Source: US Forest Service
The La Grande Airtanker Base is closed due to significant damage to various taxi routes including the apron. The Airtanker Base shall remain closed to all airtanker operations until repairs are completed. Forest and Regional Fire and Aviation staff consulted with the National Aviation staff prior to closing the Airtanker Base. A portion of the... Read more
1-May-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Media reports are saying that the Indian state of Meghalaya, in the north east of the country, have suspended Pawan Hans helicopter services in the state with immediate effect. This follows the crash of one of their Mi-17s on 19th April killing 17, and controversy surrounding one of their new AS350B3s which was reported missing... Read more
29-Apr-2011Source: World Food Programme
The rising demand on the Helicopter Sector as being one of the safest, fastest and most versatile transportation method, improving the safety standards where practical is an urge and responding to that the World Food programme Aviation Safety Unite – Sharjah office and as a continuing effort to improve safety standard is organizing: WFP Helicopter... Read more
28-Apr-2011Source: Orlando Sentinel
Jason Dennis McGuire, 27, was convicted on charges of attempted destruction of an aircraft, possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, and for using a firearm during a violent crime.... Read more