Air Methods Corporation (Nasdaq: AIRM), the global leader in air medical transportation, recently was informed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that it successfully reached the highest level (Level 4) of the FAA’s voluntary Safety Management System (SMS) program. The SMS program is an organizational framework created and implemented by the FAA to systematically guide,track,… Read more »
A Central Otago pilot has escaped with his life and a lucky lid after his unattended helicopter took off, crashed and the tail rotor grazed his helmet. (See Full Story)
The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA), with assistance from the Civil Aviation Authority, carried out an audit of Ekofisk 2/4-L facility on 4 – 5 April 2013. (See Full Story)
New video has been released following Wednesday’s helicopter crash landing in downtown Honolulu. The Kukui Plaza condominium captured the crash landing on surveillance video. (See Full Story)
Join HAI, the FAA Safety Team, a cast of industry experts, and your peers for a free workshop for all helicopter pilots, operators, students, and instructors in the southern region on June 8 in Pensacola, Fla. Let’s all reach the highest level of safety! Topics covered will include helicopter accident trends, human factors, safety initiatives,… Read more »
Montana, one of the least populated states in the US, has seen well more than its “fair share” of helicopter accidents and incidents in the last fives weeks. HeliHub.com has reported no fewer than five such events in its Accident/Incident data pages, including one fatal accident. Other situations include a bird strike breaking the windshield… Read more »
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.
We talk a lot in our industry about the importance of a “Safety First” culture, but I think a conversation about our No. 2 priority also needs to occur: minimizing the impact of a helicopter’s sound on the environment. Why, you ask, did I call it sound, instead of noise? Noise just sounds bad, like… Read more »
The only flying prototype of the all-composite six-seat helicopter dubbed “Adventourer” has ditched into Auckland Harbour in the channel between North Head and Rangitoto and sunk, bringing the development program to a halt. The salt water will no doubt mean a complete re-build and a significant pause in the development program of the KC518 helicopter being… Read more »
Step Change in Safety has received a prestigious commendation by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for its efforts to improve workforce engagement in the offshore oil and gas industry. Step Change in Safety’s Workforce Engagement Toolkit – which promises to positively transform the way oil and gas companies interact with staff… Read more »
With the fire season approaching and interagency aviation operations gearing up, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) this week issued an accident prevention bulletin reminding helicopter flight crews to ensure their helmets meet interagency guidelines and, more importantly, offer adequate protection. The bulletin warns that some helmets may contain outdated… Read more »
After collating all the statistics from their operations world-wide, HNZ Global have been celebrating a completely accident free 2012. Flying more than 65,000 hours in mostly specialized ‘niche’ helicopter operations all around the world, the “clean slate” represents a remarkable effort, especially for such a large and diverse organization. “Operating in both the utility market… Read more »
Metro Aviation conducted annual training for 34 lead pilots last week. Pilots gathered at the company’s new training facility at its Shreveport, Louisiana headquarters. During the culminating dinner, Metro recognized Joseph “Woody” Woodard, Lead Pilot for the First Flight program in Melbourne, Florida. Woodard was honored for his quick thinking and commendable actions during a… Read more »
On Thursday, May 2, 2013, join HAI, the FAASTeam, and a diverse panel of industry experts as they discuss regional issues affecting helicopter pilots, accident trends, personal risk assessment, safety initiatives, and more. There will be a free lunch for all attendees; you can obtain the latest safety materials, earn WINGS credit, and network with… Read more »
This week, Stan Rose, HAI’s director of safety outreach programs, represented HAI at the 53rd annual conference of the Aviation Technical Education Council (ATEC) in Orlando, Fla. HAI is committed to working with this group to address the issues of a shortage of qualified maintenance personnel, including professional development in ab-initio training and in curriculum… Read more »
For safety to exist, it must be a way of life.” Those words are familiar in the Metro Aviation family and reiterated in a new safety video featuring Metro’s CEO Mike Stanberry. The video speaks directly to employees and customers and reaffirms Metro’s commitment to sustaining an active Safety Management System (SMS). The incorporation of… Read more »
The CAA proposes the following new Airworthiness Directive requiring the replacement of aluminium fuel tanks on Robinson R44 series aircraft with new bladder-type tanks of improved resistance to post-accident rupture. The AD is prompted by reports of three Robinson R44 accidents in Australia involving fuel tank ruptures and fires. These accidents resulted in the loss… Read more »
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident(s) of:- Hiller UH-12 B (N38763), tail struck ground during landing, Elstree Aerodrome, Hertfordshire, 4 August 2012
A new initiative for Bell Helicopter in 2013, the safety symposium educates maintainers and operators on key safety practices and applications to implement into their daily operations. The effort is tied in part to Bell Helicopter’s participation in the International Helicopter Safety Team’s mission to achieve an 80 percent reduction in the rate of international… Read more »
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today that it will delay the closures of all 149 federal contract air traffic control towers until June 15. Last month, the FAA announced it would eliminate funding for these towers as part of the agency’s required $637 million budget cuts under sequestration. This additional… Read more »
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 »
Robinson R44 helicopters that have not been fitted with upgraded fuel tanks face being grounded from 30 April 2013. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has issued a direction to all affected R44 helicopter operators about the installation of flexible fuel tanks to reduce the risk of post-accident fires. CASA has made it clear that R44… Read more »
On 1 April 2009 Super Puma helicopter AS332 L2 G-REDL crashed into the North Sea resulting in the deaths of all 16 men on board. Having carefully considered all the circumstances of this incident, Crown Counsel have decided that there is insufficient evidence for a prosecution and as result no criminal proceedings are instructed. The… Read more »
Miami-Dade Police have today issued a statement naming Mark Palmieri, aged 53, as the deceased pilot of the R44 which came down in a fatal crash close to Tamiami Airport yesterday. Palmieri was the owner of Bravo Helicopters, which was based at the airport. There is no indication at this time as to the cause… Read more »
Step Change in Safety has published its 2013 Annual Update report and has called on the UK oil and gas industry to continue its focus on improving safety performance. The report reviews the organisation’s achievements over the last year and identifies where it will focus its attention in future. Highlights include: The launch of the Workforce Engagement Toolkit –… Read more »
The new Simplex Fire Attack system has a 480 gallon (1,817 liter) water capacity, and is the lightest belly tank system per gallon of capacity on the market today. The system also has an approved maximum speed of 150 KIAS without the hover pump installed (140 KIAS with hover pump installed),making it the fastest helicopter… Read more »
Technically not “safety recommendations” but the latter part of the investigation report into the accident of Bell LongRanger ZK-ISF in January 2011 pulls no punches on what helicopter pilots should consider when flying over water. The pilot was not wearing a life jacket, and was in the water over two hours before being rescued. The… Read more »
It was announced today, Monday 25 March, that Bristow Helicopters has become a full member of Step Change In Safety. The role of Step Change in Safety has become even more important in recent months with its Helicopter Safety Steering Group (HSSG) playing a vital role in keeping the industry informed following two related controlled… Read more »
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen today released the following statement in response to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) decision to proceed with the closure of 149 contract air traffic control towers and other facilities across the United States, to comply with “sequestration,” or mandatory budget curtailments required of federal agencies:… Read more »
An R44 that burst into flames when it crashed south of Sydney, killing four people, was fitted with older-style fuel tanks known to pose a fire hazard (See Full Story).
The Australian investigation authority ATSB has issued their final report on the fatal R22 accident on 3rd October last year which occurred 130 km west of Halls Creek in Western Australia. The summary is a blunt reminder of issues with confined areas, light levels etc What happened On 3 October 2012 the pilots of two… Read more »
On 1 April 2009 Super Puma helicopter AS332 L2 G-REDL crashed into the North Sea resulting in the deaths of all 16 men on board. Having carefully considered all the circumstances of this incident, Crown Counsel have decided that there is insufficient evidence for a prosecution and as result no criminal proceedings are instructed. The… Read more »
The third round of tests at Eurocopter – which focused on the bevel gear shaft – is complete. The investigation timetable is proceeding according to plan, with each step bringing us closer to the probable causes and solutions. The investigation results are currently being analyzed and will be reported by Eurocopter in accordance with the… Read more »
… reports about North Sea oil workers being put on slimming diets because their average weight over the last few years had increased so much (see full story)
The Swedish Accident Investigation Board (Statens Haverikommission, SHK) has published its final report after an accident that occurred on 6 September 2011 in Ånn, close to Åre, involving a Norwegian helicopter with the registration LN-OAB. The aircraft, a Robinson R44 Astro, was taking off for a private flight with three people onboard when the engine… Read more »
A team of longtime helicopter and fire/rescue industry professionals have joined forces to enhance safety and training opportunities for companies, pilots and crewmembers alike. Advanced Helicopter + Rescue Techniques LLC (AH+RT), based in Portland, Ore., provides comprehensive training services covering a variety of rotary wing, aerial firefighting and technical rescue skill sets. The company also… Read more »
The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) is adding additional focus to its safety efforts in the U.S. helicopter community by designating two of its current executives to lead the United States Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) and concentrate solely on safety issues within the U.S. civil helicopter community. This team will be co-chaired by industry and… Read more »
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.
As part of a move to better coordinate its air medical services, Carilion Clinic is building hangars and other facilities for emergency helicopters based at Lexington and Smith Mountain Lake. Construction will begin later this month on a hangar, crew quarters and offices on a half-acre site behind Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital in Lexington, the… Read more »
Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons joined Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Colonel Tracy Trott to announce the permanent assignment of a THP helicopter and pilot to assist with aviation support of law enforcement in west Tennessee. This permanent aviation support will enhance public safety by increasing response time to incidents or missions… Read more »
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has teamed with Antipodean Aviation of Australia to offer survival training in emergency water landings for both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The course covers pre-flight planning and emergency water landing techniques, as well as escape from a submerged aircraft cabin and sea survival techniques, including life preserver and life raft familiarization, and… Read more »
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), announced today an enhanced relationship with the Public Safety Aviation Accreditation Commission (PSAAC) a subsidiary of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA), as part of Bell Helicopter’s continued commitment to advancing safety in the rotorcraft industry. Bell Helicopter is the exclusive sponsor in the development of PSAAC’s… Read more »
March 2013 has not started off well from the point of view of accident statistics, with seven fatal accidents in the first nine days. HeliHub.com carries extensive coverage of helicopter safety data and has included the following in recent reports 09-Mar-13 ZK-IHU Robinson R66 Oamaru Valley, New Zealand (1F) 07-Mar-13 Eurocopter/IAR SA330L Bacau, Romania (2F) 05-Mar-13… Read more »
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce the handover of an AW109 Power to Executive HeliShares, a Briles Wing & Helicopter, Inc. Company, located in Van Nuys, California. Executive HeliShares has selected the AW109 Power and GrandNew product lines as the VIP platforms of choice for their exclusive Fractional Ownership Program on the West… Read more »
Med-Trans Corporation, a leading provider of air medical transport services, has ordered its 14th EC135 helicopter from American Eurocopterec135-med-trans-florida1 in the last six months. American Eurocopter announced the latest order Thursday at the Heli-Expo 2013 trade show in Las Vegas. The order, along with three others placed in December, is part of an agreement with… Read more »
Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd (Bond), one of the UK’s leading providers of energy support services, is proud to be the first helicopter operator to become a full member of Step Change In Safety. Step Change In Safety was founded in 1997 by the principal oil and gas industry trade associations, with the aim of making… Read more »
Global Aerospace, a worldwide leading specialist aerospace insurer, announced that its cumulative financial investment in aviation safety programs since 2011 now totals more than USD $1.5 million. The company has long been the insurance industry leader in supporting aviation safety initiatives, many funded on behalf of its clients as well as for the aviation industry… Read more »
The National EMS Pilots Association has reached an agreement with HeliHub.com whereby our newsfeed is run on the home page of their website. The most recent ten news stories on HeliHub.com are available in a tabbed window, updated immediately a new story appears on the HeliHub.com website. In this role HeliHub.com is appointed as… Read more »
ASU announced today that they received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Bell 205A-1 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The new STC was completed for the San Diego Sherriff’s Department. This aircraft will be used for aerial firefighting, search and rescue, airborne law enforcement and hoist equipmen. “This is the seventh aircraft modification… Read more »
Greenwich AeroGroup company, announced today it has expanded its leadership team with the addition of Captain Renato Clark as its Operations Director. Clark has more than 25 years of flying and management experience within the Brazilian military and the offshore oil and gas industry. Prior to joining Helivia, he held key positions with two major… Read more »
US budgetary cuts, known as “sequestration”, starts today – 1st March 2013. The FAA needs to reduce its expenditures by about $600 Million for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013. Among the changes which are likely to impact is a program whereby almost all their 47,000 employees will be forced to take unpaid leave for… Read more »
If you are interested in becoming an auditor for the HAI Accreditation Program of Safety (HAI-APS), please plan to attend the HAI-APS Auditor Workshop at HELI-EXPO 2013 on Wednesday, March 6, from 1 pm to 5 pm. Attendees will have the opportunity to become familiar with the HAI-APS program, understand its relationship with IS-BAO, review… Read more »
While serving as a first sergeant years ago, I was frustrated when an accident report submitted to the U.S. Army Safety Center was returned to me for additional information. Unfortunately, because the accident occurred off duty and my Soldier had been rendered unconscious, I couldn’t provide any additional information. What I now realize is even… Read more »
A German air ambulance helicopter was grounded recently after the pilot suffered a broken leg away from base. The “Christoph 70” helicopter – a Eurocopter EC135 – had landed on the rooftop pad at Pößneck on Tuesday 12th February at 15:30 hours for a patient transfer to Bad Berka. However, the pilot broke his leg… Read more »
The pilot of a helicopter that crashed in Acton this month had his pilot privileges suspended twice in the last decade, according to FAA records (see full story). Details on the accident referred to can be found at 10-Feb-13 N59518 Bell 206B Acton, US-California (3F)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – Simon Sinek, a leading motivational speaker and author of, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the Gala Dinner at the 2013 CHC Safety & Quality Summit. The Gala dinner will take place on Tues., March 19, at the Westin… Read more »
Helicopter Association International (HAI) President Matt Zuccaro today announced a significant change in the organization’s staffing, designed to keep up with members’ changing needs. Paul Schaaf, currently the Chief Pilot for the Fairfax County Police Department, will join HAI in mid-March to assume the duties and responsibilities of Vice President of Operations, a job which… Read more »
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) welcomed the reappointment of Ms Carolyn Walsh as a member of the ATSB Commission. Ms Walsh’s appointment by the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon Anthony Albanese will commence on 8 March 2013 and will run for a further three years. Ms Walsh has a wealth of experience… Read more »
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is to strengthen its provision of safety information to general aviation pilots from this spring. The CAA announced today that the publishing group, Archant, will begin producing general aviation safety material on its behalf. Archant, publisher of Pilot magazine, has been awarded a contract to write and distribute three… Read more »
Airworthiness Directive 2012-19-01 has been issued by the FAA in September of 2012 for certain O540 and IO-540 engines installed in Robinson R44 helicopters. RotorCorp has arranged for priority pricing on Lycoming factory overhauled and rebuilt zero time engines that renders this new AD a non-issue for R44 helicopter owners around the world. The AD… Read more »
The Helicopter Safety Steering Group has published its findings, following a visit to Eurocopter’s manufacturing and test facility in Marignane, France on 6 February. The group has published a fact sheet which can be easily downloaded, shared, printed off or forwarded as necessary. The fact sheet documents details of the site visit and the latest… Read more »
From February 11-13, the American Helicopter Society (AHS) Redstone Chapter, with sponsorship from HAI, hosted a Technical Specialists’ Meeting on Airworthiness, Condition Based Maintenance (CBM), and Health and Usage Monitoring (HUMS) at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. HAI staffers Ed DiCampli, Harold Summers, and others from the HAI HUMS research team were instrumental in… Read more »
We are pleased to announce that David Carr has accepted the position of Safety Director for Med-Trans Corporation (MTC), beginning his position Feb. 14th. Mr. Carr is a proven safety professional and leader in the aviation industry, having earned numerous safety-related awards and certifications. Prior to joining the Med-Trans Leadership team, Mr. Carr served as… Read more »
The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), along with safety experts from throughout the civil helicopter industry, has developed new safety leaflets focused on entry into fog or cloud conditions, instructional safety, and recurrent training. The IHST now offers a total of ten new safety leaflets aimed at enhancing helicopter operations and reducing accidents. The safety… Read more »
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident(s) of:- Robinson R22 Beta (G-CHZN), in-flight separation of main rotor blades, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, 6 January 2012 Sikorsky S-76C (G-CGOU), precautionary landing following smell of smoke in flight, 19 nm east-north-east of Humberside Airport, 26 September 2012… Read more »
Tdata announces the addition of the Avantext® line of Airworthiness Directive libraries to Tdata’s line of products and services. Tdata and Avantext customers will now have more choices in the products they use for FAA Airworthiness publications. Tdata will continue to offer its popular IApproach™ Regulatory library in addition to the Avantext AD libraries so… Read more »
I would be willing to bet money that after reading the average accident report, you ask yourself, “What were they thinking?” Not in a negative or derogatory manner, but in real puzzlement. How could the pilot, operator, or maintenance tech have made such poor choices — choices that resulted in their own deaths or those… Read more »
Topic: Jam Packed Helicopter SAFETY Workshop with National & Local Safety Items Addressed. (Held at Robinson Helo Facility) On Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 8:00 AM Location: Robinson Helicopter Company, 2901 Airport Dr., Torrance, CA 90505 Select Number: WP0548604 Description: HAI (Helicopter Association International), So Cal PHPA (Professional Helicopter Pilots Association), and FAAST (FAA Safety Team) invite you to a day… Read more »
Professional Resources In System Management, LLC (PRISM), is pleased to announce an update to their Safety Management System (SMS) packaging and pricing for helicopter operators. The PRISM Essential and Professional subscription packages provide the industry’s most comprehensive set of tools to assist aviation companies as they implement and manage an effective SMS program. PRISM’s new… Read more »
The Flight Safety Investigative Report and Epilogue of the fatal air accident involving the Griffon helicopter CH146434 that occurred on July 6, 2009, near Kandahar Air Field, is now available on the Air Force Directorate of Flight Safety website. The Flight Safety Investigative Report describes factual data and includes a comprehensive analysis of all factors… Read more »
A delegation representing the Helicopter Safety Steering Group is to visit Eurocopter’s manufacturing and test facility at Marignane, France, following an invitation from the company. On Wednesday 6 February, the group will see first-hand the efforts Eurocopter are going to in order to determine the root cause of the failure which led to two helicopters… Read more »
Two former employees of Carson Helicopters are facing 20+ years in prison for charges related to a 2008 S61 crash that killed seven firefighters and two crew members (see full story)
The National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to assist in the investigation of a Robinson R44 II helicopter that crashed about 80 miles north of Asuncion, Paraguay. Initial reports indicate that the pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The investigation is being led by the Paraguay Civil Aviation Authority (CIPAA). The NTSB has… Read more »
A British helicopter instructor has been sentenced to six months jail for falsely signing off the training records of a student pilot to get him a pilot’s licence. The Judge said that it was impossible to say whether these actions were contributory to the “newly qualified” pilot and his wife losing their lives in their… Read more »
