6-Feb-2017 Source: IHST
The International Helicopter Safety Team (www.IHST.org) has compiled data from its second annual survey of civil helicopter operators located in key regions around the world in order to gain a broader understanding of where safety initiatives are being implemented.
The IHST’s worldwide regional teams have analyzed more than 1,000 helicopter accidents and have concluded that the following four areas offer the best opportunities to prevent helicopter accidents:
The recent IHST survey looked at where these best practices were followed within specific segments of the helicopter industry and within regions around the world. Overall, the key recommended safety practices have been implemented most comprehensively by operators in the sectors of Offshore/Oil, Helicopter Air Ambulance and Taxi/Charter services. The lowest implementation occurs in the Personal/Private segment of the industry. From the 2016 survey, here is the complete list of segments most following to least following the best practices:
1) Offshore/Oil 7) Commercial Aviation
2) Air Ambulance 8) Agricultural Application
3) Air Taxi/Charter 9) Air Tours
4) External Load 10) Other
5) Law Enforcement 11) Personal/Private
6) Training
Within key regions of the world, application of the best safety practices is patchy. Here is a breakdown highlighting greater usage and lesser usage of the key safety recommendations:
Greater Usage Lesser Usage
United Kingdom Training, Rec. Maintenance Flight Data Monitoring
France Training Rec. Maintenance, Flight Data Mon.
Italy HUMS Training, Rec. Maintenance
Misc. Europe Safety Mgmt Systems Flight Data Monitoring, Training
United States Rec. Maintenance Safety Mgmt Systems, HUMS
Canada Flight Data Mon., Rec. Maintenance HUMS, Safety Mgmt Systems
Mexico HUMS, Flight Data Monitoring Safety Mgmt Systems
Australia Rec. Maintenance Flight Data Monitoring, HUMS
New Zealand Flight Data Monitoring Training, HUMS
The detailed report for the IHST safety initiative survey can be found on the “Repository” page on its web site: http://www.ihst.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3094&language=en-US
The IHST was formed in 2005 to lead a government and industry cooperative effort to promote helicopter safety and work to reduce accidents and fatalities.