The National EMS Pilots Association has submitted a 22-page position paper on the FAA Notice of Proposed Rule Making pertaining to helicopter air ambulance operations. January 10 was the deadline for the public submission of comments on the proposed changes to FAR Part 135. The new rules, if implemented as proposed without modification, will be… Read more »
A Lakeland man that authorities said pointed a laser light at a Polk County sheriff’s helicopter in November is facing up to 20 years in federal prison.
Today the National Transportation Safety Board adopted a study that concluded that general aviation (GA) airplanes equipped with airbags provide additional protection to occupants in accidents involving survivable forward impacts. Airbags are designed to mitigate head and upper body injuries and are installed in the lap belt or shoulder harness portions of the restraint system…. Read more »
The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) has submitted a comprehensive response to the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), Air Ambulance and Commercial Helicopter Operations… (Docket No. FAA–2010–0982; Notice No. 10–13). In addition to input from other members, the principle authors of the response included SAFE members Mike Coligny, a five-time Master Instructor, and… Read more »
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) will hold a news conference for the media on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 to make public the final TSB investigation report (A09A0016) into the crash of a Cougar Helicopters Sikorsky S-92A off the coast of Newfoundland on March 12, 2009. This will be held at the Delta St…. Read more »
A world-renowned expert on reducing human error in aircraft operations will be a keynote speaker at a major aviation safety conference in Vancouver. Organizers of the 2011 CHC Safety & Quality Summit organizers are pleased to announce that Dr. Tony Kern, CEO of Convergent Performance, will be a keynote speaker at this year’s event, March… Read more »
The report said that the main cause of the accident was the inability of pilots to notice and arrest the lateral drift of the chopper to its left due to lack of ground reference until the main rotors came into contact.  See HeliHub.com page at 07-Nov-10 9N-AIX Eurocopter AS350 Solukhumbu, Nepal (2F)
Flight crews reported the beam coming from southwest Calgary in an area near the Home Depot at the Shawnessy Shopping Centre. Calgary police, with the support of the HAWCS helicopter, moved into the area but couldn’t find the offender, they said.
The new 2011 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 418 standards, incorporated into most building codes, now require all future and upgraded heliports to meet FAA design guidelines in addition to numerous NFPA safety equipment, training and emergency plan requirements that ALL heliports must now meet. Is your heliport in compliance? Raymond A. Syms & Associates (RAS… Read more »
At about 5.55am last Saturday the pilot of the force chopper reported a laser being shone at the aircraft as it was flying over the Bramley area of Leeds.
Air Methods Corporation (Nasdaq:AIRM), the largest air medical transportation company in the world, recently was informed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that it successfully exited Level 2 status in the FAA’s Safety Management System (SMS) pilot program. Air Methods is the only helicopter air medical operator to have exited Level 1 and Level 2… Read more »
The new issue of FAA Safety Briefing celebrates the publication’s 50th anniversary by looking back on the state of general aviation (GA) safety and highlighting a half century of safety focus and progress. The magazine, then called FAA Aviation News, was first published in January 1961, just three years after the creation of the FAA. Its purpose was… Read more »
NTSB report noted that an autopsy revealed traces of an antihistamine and an opiate on the body of pilot Dennis Donovan, aged 70. See also HeliHub.com accident report page – 05-Jan-10 N5016U Bell B206 nr Redinger Lake, US-California (4F)
A paperwork glitch has deprived investigators of the flight incident recorder onboard a crashed CV-22 despite evidence that the critical device survived, according to president of the accident investigation board.
Taiwan has developed new technology to retrieve information from damaged GPS chips, which will be particulary helpful in accident investigation where no flight data recorder is present, Japan’s Council for Aviation Safety said Tuesday 28th. CAS director Kuan Wen-lin briefed the media on the use of the technology, noting that Japan’s Transportation Safety Board sought… Read more »
Cpl. Joseph Andreasen and flight officer Cpl. Shawn Bogart were on patrol in North Naples at about 1 a.m. Saturday when a green laser light entered the left side of the helicopter, injuring both of their left eyes
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) transmitted to the President and Congress a Department of Transportation (DOT) report responding to a whistleblower’s allegations that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) failed to ensure that Airworthiness Directives (ADs) were issued in a timely manner.  ADs are rules that FAA issues to address unsafe conditions that exist in… Read more »
NBC Nightly News recently aired a report on the FAA’s Next-Generation Air Traffic System that featured the pioneering application of that system’s backbone, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), for helicopter operations in the Gulf of Mexico. “The FAA is touting a revolutionary system that it says will overhaul air traffic control across America, making the nation’s… Read more »
The NTSB has issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking comments from the public regarding amendments to its procedural rules dealing with review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificate actions and its rules concerning applications for fees and expenses under the Equal Access to Justice Act. The NTSB listed three main reasons for… Read more »
Rescuers used a Stokes basket to lift the man off the trail and up to the helicopter, but as that basket got close to the door, it started to spin faster and faster. (VIDEO)
But the general who led the crash investigation said Thursday that there was strong evidence to indicate that the $87 million-plus aircraft, which has a history of technical problems, experienced engine trouble in the final seconds leading to the crash. HeliHub.com accident reports here
Sgt Jenkins said the attempt to dazzle the helicopter pilot had serious implications. “Endangering an aircraft is an offence and carries a five-year prison sentence,” he added. “Unfortunately for us, their night vision equipment is often better than ours.”
HAI is pleased to be working on a research project with the FAA on usage validation for Health Monitoring Systems (HUMS)-equipped helicopters. The project has the potential to increase operational efficiency and safety for HUMS-equipped aircraft with the ultimate goal of conditioned-based maintenance. Please help us by taking a couple of minutes to fill out… Read more »
The sole survivor of a 2008 Maryland State Police helicopter crash in District Heights has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the FAA, alleging negligence on the part of air traffic controllers.
Oil & Gas UK and NATS, the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, today announced the world’s first operational use of wide area multilateration technology for tracking offshore flights. Helicopters in transit to and from oil and gas platforms in the North Sea are now visible to air traffic controllers from takeoff to landing, increasing… Read more »
The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) announced today early steps in an implementation strategy for the Offshore Helicopter Safety Inquiry Phase I Report Recommendations. The report contains 29 recommendations. The C-NLOPB completed its review and accepts 27 of the 29 recommendations in full. Recommendation 12, which calls for an on-going ban on night… Read more »
CHC Helicopter is pleased to announce that: Registration for the 2011 CHC Safety & Quality Summit is now open! To address the core issue of many aviation incidents and accidents, this year’s theme is “Corporate Responsibility vs. Personal Accountability: Two Sides of the Same Coin.†The Summit is taking place in downtown Vancouver at the… Read more »
FAA says it doesn’t have the authority to regulate the safety of aircraft operated by other federal agencies or state and local governments – and they (exception the military) generally don’t have the aviation expertise to do it themselves.
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident of:- * Robinson R22B G-RIDL at Macclesfield, Cheshire on 15 November 2009 * Robinson R22B G-NWDC at Londonderry Eglinton Airfield on 8 August 2010 * Schweizer 269CBi G-LINX at Stalmine, Lancashire on 22 September 2009
In any type of rollover accident, the transmission can puncture the fuel tank. The fix is simple: instead of using a rigid fuel tank, use a soft bladder tank that won’t rupture.
NTSB raised questions about a pilot’s decision to fly the rescue mission and whether the pilot was overworked before starting the mission, and it disclosed he was taking prescription medication for depression. Helihub.com accident report here
Carson Helicopters has been an active participant in the NTSB investigation of the Weaverville crash of N612AZ and as such has not commented publicly during the investigation due to regulatory prohibitions. We have a strong commitment to all the people affected by this tragic accident and to current flight operators of the S61 helicopter to… Read more »
The pilot of the 12-year-old 500E sold last year to Versatile Helicopters, of Chemainus, British Columbia, was forced to make an emergency landing following engine failure, the company said in court papers filed yesterday in U.S. District Court.
William “Bill” Coultas of Cave Junction says the NTSB ignored his written and oral testimony that loss of power in an engine caused the crash of the S61
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD Public Meeting of December 7, 2010 (Information subject to editing) Aircraft Accident Report Crash During Takeoff of Carson Helicopters, Inc., Firefighting Helicopter Under Contract to the U.S. Forest Service, Sikorsky S-61N, N612AZ Near Weaverville, California August 5, 2008 NTSB/AAR-10/06 Stay Connected Receive Press releases by e-mail Subscribe to our RSS feeds This is… Read more »
As the temperatures in Florida plummet, so helicopters are called in to fly low level over fields to minimise the chance of frost ruining the crop. Sadly, these operations brought no fewer than three casualties in one County earlier today. Robinson R44 N666SL clipped a post at Palm Beach Glades County Airport, Pahokee around 2am… Read more »
The NTSB stated that Carson Helicopters deliberately withheld information on the aircraft’s safety specifications. Those actions “included the intentional alteration of weight documents and performance charts and the use of unapproved performance calculations”
Kevin Wayne Foster, 39, of Shasta Lake, and a 16-year-old teen were booked into the Shasta County jail Monday evening after Sheriff’s Department officials said they had flashed a green laser at a CHP helicopter.
Kansas City police pulled over a pickup truck Wednesday night after a passenger aimed a green laser at the police helicopter, temporarily blinding the pilot.
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 October 2010 Useful Links * Civil Accidents * Military Accidents * Fatal Accidents – both civil and military * 2009 Annual Review of Fatal Accidents * Safety News October 2010 was… Read more »
The placement of a mounted gun at the main door of a Chinook helicopter brought down by enemy fire Afghanistan in August impeded the exit of personnel after landing (see HeliHub.com report of accident)
The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting on Tuesday, December 7, at 9:30 a.m., in its Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. There is one item on the agenda. The Board will consider a final report on the following accident: On August 5, 2008, a Sikorsky… Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced that Mexico complies with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), based on the results of a November FAA review of Mexico’s civil aviation authority. Under the leadership of Secretary Juan Molinar and Director General Hector Gonzalez… Read more »
The pair, Uday M. Warekar (33) and Palraj Thevar (38), were working for Air Works Engineering, the company in-charge of maintaining Anil Ambani Group’s Bell-412
US and European regulators say a new and improved main gearbox mounting structure for the Sikorsky S-92A continues to exhibit the cracking problems that plagued an earlier design
The incident spurred an investigation by USU police after the flight crew reported seeing the light originate somewhere near the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Oct. 3.
David H. Hopwood, 35, of the 7000-block of Bristol Place in Sykesville was charged with reckless endangerment, attempted second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer and prohibited use of a laser pointer.
A Martin County Sheriff’s Office helicopter pilot encountered an unexpected obstacle in the sky just after midnight. The aviation unit was on patrol in Jensen Beach when a laser illuminated the cockpit, according to the sheriff’s office.
The National Transportation Safety Board today released a final report on a fatal crash involving a transport-category helicopter caused by a bird strike. The Board said the lack of requirements for bird strike-resistant windshields contributed to the crash, and called on the FAA to develop such requirements. On January 4, 2009, a dual-engine Sikorsky S-76C++… Read more »
Polk County deputies have arrested a Lakeland man for reportedly shining a laser into the cockpit of a sheriff’s helicopter and temporarily blinding the pilot.
Fort Worth, TX (PRWEB) November 22, 2010 – Curt Lewis & Associates (CL&A), LLC, announces continued and expanded services to the helicopter community. Current trends in the helicopter industry, especially the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) indicates there is a necessity and need to provide safety training and consultation. Curt Lewis & Associates recent endeavors… Read more »
HAI President Matt Zuccaro, and HAI Director of Safety Stan Rose, welcomed the opportunity to discuss safety initiatives with two leading FAA representatives while exhibiting at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Summit in Long Beach, California. Zuccaro and Rose were able to discuss the HAI and FAA mutual goal of enhancing safety… Read more »
The union representing oil workers on the Hibernia and Terra Nova offshore oil platforms is calling for speedy adoption of all of recommendations in the Offshore Helicopter Safety Inquiry report released yesterday. “We are especially pleased with the call for an independent safety regulator,” says Chuck Shewfelt, the Atlantic Regional Vice-President of the Communications, Energy… Read more »
Critics have accused the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board of a conflict of interest because it is tasked with developing offshore resources to the maximum extent while also protecting workers and the environment.
The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) received the Report of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Inquiry today and is releasing it to the public immediately. “On behalf of the Board, I thank Commissioner Robert Wells, commission counsel and the staff of the commission for their work during the course of Phase I of the… Read more »
John Quadrio claimed he was stood down by the tour operator he was working for, after the CASA charged him with eight aviation offences, including reckless and low flying and performing aerobatic manoeuvres.
The jury found McGuire guilty of all three charges he faced: attempted destruction of an aircraft, using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime, and possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. He will be sentenced Feb. 4.
WIESBADEN, Germany — Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the Feb. 3 Army helicopter crash that killed three U.S. soldiers near Mannheim, Germany, but revealed several miscues made by the unit and the flight crew before takeoff. The purpose of the ill-fated UH-60 flight, dubbed Duke 27, was to conduct pilot proficiency training,… Read more »
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faced two charges of endangering the safety of an aircraft – not only the helicopter but also a Boeing 737 of airline Jet2.
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident of:- Eurocopter AS365N, G-HEMS at Thornaby, Teesside on 17 June 2010
HeliHub.com is having great success with its “Gallery†feature, recording over 4,000 images and increasing at a rate of approximately 350 per month 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 time. HeliHub.com plans to utilise… Read more »
Join helicopter firefighting operators under contract to the U.S. Forest Service or Department of the Interior and attend HAI’s 3rd Annual Fall Government Contracting Committee meeting and Firefighting Safety Forum in Boise, Idaho, November 17th and 18th – sponsorship opportunities are available! Attendees will have the opportunity to sit in on the Government Contracting Committee’s… Read more »
Latvian helicopter company GM Helicopters has confirmed that three of its crew have been kidnapped in Sudan. The company is currently in contact with the Latvian Foreign Ministry.
Pilots union files complaint against INAER, the company that owns the helicopter which died 3 coastguards after it plunged into the sea in January, for alleged “breach of its obligations” in crew training, which “directly contributed to errors in the operation”.
Lawyers said Mr Mull’s family was suing Rotorway International Australia, its director Kevin Lunn and two American-based companies, Rotorway Global and Cobb International
