5-Feb-2013Source: Wildfire Today
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)... Read more
5-Feb-2013Source: NTSB
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
4-Feb-2013Source: Yorkshire Post
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
4-Feb-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Low-level helicopter flying, engaged in doors-off ammunition-ready feral hog hunting has been a major factor in two helicopter accidents in the last seven days. Estimates vary between two and four million hogs across the US. These wild animals are responsible for significant damage to pastures, leading to losses on behalf of the land owners. This... Read more
3-Feb-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Presidential candidate Lino Oviedo, aged 69, died in an accident involving the Robinson R44 he was flying in on Saturday night. The accident also claimed the lives of his bodyguard Derlis Galeano, and the pilot, Ramón Aurelio Picco. Our safety data pages have more details at 02-Feb-13 ZP-HAH Robinson R44 Puerto Antequera, Paraguay (3F) Some... Read more
3-Feb-2013Source: CHC
This year a mobile app has been developed which can be used on any smartphone or tablet. This app is designed to help you organize your time and make the most of what the summit has to offer. The app functions include: Your up-to-date personal schedule during the event Speaker details Background information on summit... Read more
3-Feb-2013Source: The Guardian, Nigeria
A professor and his research team at a UK university have developed options for minimising occurrences of loss of oil events during long hour flights by helicopters and solutions to increase the capability of continued operation after loss of oil (see full story)... Read more
30-Jan-2013
“In the evening of January 27, 2013 Gemini was alerted of an overdue helicopter with a last known location approximately 77 kilometers southwest of Fox Creek. ” (see full story) File photo... Read more
30-Jan-2013Source: HAI
HAI’s Director of Safety Stan Rose and Vice President of Government Affairs Ann Carroll attended the Helicopter Safety Advisory Council (HSAC) meeting in New Orleans, La., from Jan. 23-24. Rose and Carroll participated in a number of discussions with HSAC’s board, as well as with the FAA regarding offshore ADS-B issues.... Read more
28-Jan-2013Source: IHST
Many helicopter accidents involve pilots who allow themselves to be influenced by one or more of five basic hazardous attitudes. These attitudes get pilots into trouble by causing them to take chances that invite accidents. As a pilot, the less often you allow yourself to act upon a hazardous attitude, the safer your flying will... Read more
27-Jan-2013Source: San Francisco Chronicle
A Sikes man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for shooting at a Louisiana Army National Guard helicopter during a drug surveillance operation. (see full story)... Read more
27-Jan-2013Source: ATSB
ATSB summary of the accident follows:- What happened On 3 September 2011, the pilot and one crewman of a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 helicopter, registered VH-HCA (HCA), departed an airstrip located near Kumarina roadhouse, approximately 150 km south of Newman, Western Australia. The crew were conducting low-level geophysical survey operations when the pilot was observed... Read more
25-Jan-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Under an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program sponsorship project, TII (Technology International Inc) has released details of a new device to fire low-frequency sound at flocks of birds to steer them away from a given location. Clearly there are significant uses for this around airports, heliports, helipads and aircraft carriers. Traditionally, bird scare systems... Read more
25-Jan-2013Source: HAI
On Thursday, February 7, 2013, join HAI, the FAASTeam, and a diverse panel of industry experts in Minneapolis, Minn., as they discuss regional issues affecting helicopter pilots, accident trends, personal risk assessment, safety initiatives, and more. There will be a free BBQ lunch for all attendees; you can obtain the latest safety materials, earn WINGS... Read more
24-Jan-2013Source: Mountain Scene
Louisa Patterson, owner of NZ operator Over the Top, is at loggerheads with the NZ Civil Aviation Authority, maintaining it was just an “incident” based on CAA’s own guidelines. “As an incident, this will not affect the safety record that Over The Top are so proud of”, she says (see full story)... Read more
23-Jan-2013Source: AAIB
Report name: S1/2013 – Agusta A109E, G-CRST Registration: G-CRST Type: Agusta A109E Location: St George Wharf, Vauxhall, London Date of occurrence: 16 January 2013 Category: Commercial Air Transport – Rotorcraft Summary: The helicopter was flying to the east of Battersea Heliport when it struck the jib of a crane, attached to a building development at... Read more
22-Jan-2013Source: HeliHub.com
At least 40 employees of the 061 – the Spanish public health emergency organisation – staged a protest in Granada last week at the opening of four disciplinary cases. Two EMS workers, a doctor and a health and safety representative are central to the situation which concerns “safety deficiencies” in the operation of the helicopter... Read more
20-Jan-2013Source: Step Change in Safety
Helicopter operators are maintaining readiness for the return to service of EC225s. An element of this are short maintenance flights over land. The 20-minute flights will take place without passengers and are intended to keep the aircraft within their maintenance certification, meaning they won’t have to be placed for long periods in storage. As these... Read more
18-Jan-2013Source: Eurocopter
For the past weeks, Eurocopter has continued to regularly communicate with oil and gas customers/operators and industry representatives concerning the EC225 main gearbox shaft failures, while respecting the confidentiality of the official accident investigation. The company has provided an overview of its approach to the root cause analysis performed during the past several weeks and... Read more
18-Jan-2013Source: FAA
1. Purpose of This Notice. This notice explains to airworthiness aviation safety inspectors (ASI) a different rating for the maintenance of night vision goggles (NVG). 2. Audience. The primary audience for this notice is airworthiness ASIs who certificate repair stations that maintain night vision goggles. 3. Where You Can Find This Notice. You can find... Read more
17-Jan-2013Source: Eurocopter Canada
Eurocopter Canada Limited (ECL) will recognize outstanding achievement with its presentation of the 2nd Annual ‘Innovation in Safety Award’. This award was established as a benchmark in which to measure the advanced achievements accomplished by groups, companies, organizations or agencies in maintaining Canadian rotary wing safe flying operations, while employing an exceptional or groundbreaking approach.... Read more
17-Jan-2013Source: HAI
On Tues., Jan. 15, HAI Director of Safety Stan Rose joined the FAA Safety Team in hosting a seminar for helicopter pilots at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. More than 80 local pilots from law enforcement, air medical, NASCAR team flight departments, and other operations gathered to hear presentations on a variety of... Read more
16-Jan-2013Source: Helihub.com
An AgustaWestland AW109E helicopter crashed this morning in central London’s rush hour – around 8am. The helicopter was en route from Redhill to Elstree, but diverting into Battersea Heliport due to poor visibility, when it hit a crane on a block of flats, and crashed to ground in flames. Two cars were reported hit and... Read more
16-Jan-2013Source: Columbia Helicopters
Columbia Helicopters announces the establishment of a memorial fund that will assist the families of the seven employees who perished in a recent helicopter crash in Peru. The funds raised will be distributed equally among all families. The “CHI 241 Peru Memorial Fund” has been created at Wells Fargo banks, which can accept donations at... Read more
15-Jan-2013
Negligence claims over a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of two Britons should remain in the US, a judge has ruled. (see full story) We also found this document online relating to this case File photo... Read more
13-Jan-2013Source: Tampa Bay Online
Following Robinson’s offer of a reward for the recovery of the two blades of an R22 involved in a fatal accident, the first blade has now been brought up and the second one sighted (see full story) File photo... Read more
13-Jan-2013Source: HAI
The American Helicopter Society (AHS) Redstone Chapter, with sponsorship from HAI, is hosting a Technical Specialists’ Meeting on Airworthiness, Condition Based Maintenance (CBM), and Health and Usage Monitoring (HUMS) from February 11-13, at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The meeting will present applicable technologies that are new to continued airworthiness, current and potential processes,... Read more
11-Jan-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
10-Jan-2013Source: BBC
The jury found the instructor guilty of making a false representation with intent to deceive the Civil Aviation Authority. He will be sentenced next month. (see full story). File photo... Read more
10-Jan-2013Source: AAIB
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident(s) of:- Agusta Bell 206B Jet Ranger II, (G-SUEZ), engine failure and a forced landing, Perthshire, 20 February 2012... Read more
9-Jan-2013Source: Columbia Helicopters
Columbia Helicopters sadly confirms the loss of seven employees in a crash of a Model 234 helicopter in Peru. The employees included five American citizens and two Peruvian citizens. The helicopter was working near Pucallpa, Peru, under contract to support petroleum exploration operations. No other persons were on board the tandem-rotor helicopter when it was... Read more
8-Jan-2013Source: Mumbai Mirror
The Director General of Civil Aviation has instituted an inquiry into a night flight undertaken by a Pawan Hans helicopter on December 27 last year to Bhopal and Indore from Delhi despite the pilot-in-command not being qualified to fly after sunset. (see full story). File photo... Read more
8-Jan-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
7-Jan-2013Source: CHC
Accident/Incident Response Preparedness March 21-23 (2.5 days) Course Description: This course is designed for individuals who are involved in either preparing for an accident or responding to one as a representative of their organization. It is based on the premise that accidents are relatively rare events and organizations may have little experience in dealing with them. ... Read more
7-Jan-2013Source: FAAST
Attention all Mid-Atlantic Helicopter pilots! Join us for the very latest information on the safety issues facing the rotorcraft industry presented by some of the top industry experts in their field. A panel of experts from the FAA Safety Team, CLT FSDO & ATC, North Carolina State Aviation, and Helicopter Association International (HAI) will discuss... Read more
7-Jan-2013Source: www.flyatnight.info
Night flights are challenging. Visual information about the flight environment is greatly reduced as compared to daytime flying and is largely dependent on the amount of celestial illumination encountered throughout the flight. It is therefore of significant importance for the night pilot to know exactly when darkness falls, and if some level of illumination in... Read more
7-Jan-2013Source: Fox11
With a multi-million dollar life-saving tool sitting in the hanger at Theda Clark Hospital, it’s vital for flight crews to know when to use the ThedaStar helicopter and when they have to just say no. (see full story)... Read more
4-Jan-2013Source: BBC
Tactical flight officer PC Paul Gridley said: “When we are approaching a scene, usually at 1000ft, we tend to use the blue lights of emergency vehicles as one way of guiding us into the scene” (see full story)... Read more
4-Jan-2013Source: ATSB
You can now get the latest ATSB news and updates via our Twitter account: @ATSBinfo. We will use Twitter to tell you about a range of activities and initiatives, including: new and updated investigations investigation and research report releases new safety awareness products. Some things to keep in mind The ATSB will not guarantee responding to... Read more
3-Jan-2013Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com publishes what we believe to be the most comprehensive helicopter accident information available on the internet. We do not vouch for completeness – and indeed we regularly add more data for both recent and historical events – but from the feedback we receive from our readers, we are confident that we provide a very comprehensive repository of helicopter... Read more
3-Jan-2013Source: Payson Roundup
Gila County Sheriff’s Office dive teams scoured the bottom of the lake for more than a week, but found no sign of the helicopter, which splashed into the lake during a sightseeing flight out of Mesa (see full story). File photo see also the following from HeliHub.com safety data pages – 07-Dec-12 N557AC Robinson R44... Read more
3-Jan-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Wednesday 2nd January saw a bad start to 2013 with no fewer than four helicopter accidents in the US already recorded on the HeliHub.com accident pages. Two of these were EMS helicopters, a Med-Trans Bell 407 in Iowa and an Air Methods EC130 in Oklahoma. The former occurred after night fall and took the lives... Read more
2-Jan-2013Source: Robinson
On 30 November 2012, a Robinson R22 helicopter crashed into Tampa Bay near Apollo Beach. Most of the helicopter was recovered with the exception of the two main rotor blades. An extensive search of the properties in Apollo Beach was unsuccessful in locating the missing blades. Investigators are confident the blades are located offshore. Robinson... Read more
2-Jan-2013Source: HeliHub.com
As we launch into 2013, HeliHub.com is proud to announce that we filed no fewer than 3,432 news stories in 2012. This averages around 14 stories per working day, and with the rate increasing towards the end of the year, the total for 2013 is expected to be a step-change higher. We are already clear... Read more
21-Dec-2012Source: HeliHub.com
The team at HeliHub.com would like to wish all our readers a very Happy Christmas and a financially secure 2013. This is the time of the year we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and we trust many of our readers will take time to consider what that means to the world, perhaps through attending a... Read more
21-Dec-2012Source: FAA
We received several emails recently about subscribing to an e-reader version of the FAA Safety Briefing magazine. In future GovDelivery email notifications that announce new issues — available by clicking the green “subscribe” check mark found at the top of the FAA Safety Briefing home page at faa.gov/news/safety_briefing — we will include the direct links... Read more
17-Dec-2012Source: Appareo
Appareo Systems has continued to display its commitment to advancing the award-winning ALERTS flight data monitoring system with the release of a significant number of enhancements and new features to its software components. With more than a dozen key improvements across the ALERTS suite, Appareo’s dedication to providing industry-leading safety tools to its customers remains... Read more
17-Dec-2012Source: Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman
Robinson helicopter crash lawyers, Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, can report that Robinson Helicopter Company’s R44 fuel tank rebate offer is about to expire. After many low impact post-crash fires, the company announced that it was offering a $1,000 incentive to R44 owners who purchase and install their bladder fuel tank kit by December 31,... Read more
11-Dec-2012Source: 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
11-Dec-2012Source: IHST
The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), a worldwide organization leading a multi-year effort to enhance safety and reduce the civil helicopter accident rate, has added Robinson Helicopter Company President Kurt Robinson to its Executive Committee. Kurt Robinson heads the Robinson Helicopter Company, which is the world’s leading manufacturer of civil helicopters. The company of nearly... Read more
7-Dec-2012Source: HAI
On Dec. 6, HAI hosted the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Interagency Committee for Aviation Policy (ICAP) meeting at the association’s headquarters in Alexandria, Va. HAI Executive Vice President Ed DiCampli took the opportunity to present the outgoing chairperson, Jan Dobbs, the HAI Meritorious Service Award for her distinguished service as the deputy associate administrator of... Read more
5-Dec-2012Source: Oil & Gas UK
Members of Oil & Gas UK’s Board today (Wednesday 5 December) met with senior representatives from Eurocopter in Aberdeen. Eurocopter had been invited to update the group on their investigation into the main bevel gear shaft failures, which led to two ditching incidents earlier in the year. Eurocopter has been carrying out extensive testing of... Read more
4-Dec-2012Source: CHC
Early bird registration is now open for the 2013 CHC Safety and Quality Summit, the world’s premier aviation safety conference. The CHC Safety and Quality Summit is an internationally recognized aviation-safety conference dedicated to improving safety through excellence in human factors. This year the summit will revolve around the theme, “Building an Accident Free Legacy: Predictive Safety to Avoid... Read more
4-Dec-2012Source: MEBA
The Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) event is providing an important platform for the Middle East/North Africa Helicopter Safety Team (MENA HST –www.gfsc.aero ) to converge for their quarterly safety conference – complimenting the new Helicopters@MEBA feature. MEBA takes place in 2 weeks – 11 to 13 December 2012 at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai... Read more
29-Nov-2012Source: AAIB
Report name: S7/2012 – EC225 LP Super Puma, G-CHCN Registration: G-CHCN Type: EC225 LP Super Puma Location: In the North Sea, approximately 32 nm southwest of Sumburgh, Shetland Islands Date of occurrence: 22 October 2012 Category: Commercial Air Transport – Rotorcraft Summary: This Special Bulletin contains information on the progress of the investigation into identifying... Read more
28-Nov-2012Source: Sydney Morning Herald
A water-bombing helicopter has mistakenly sprayed partially treated sewage onto firefighters battling a blaze on the NSW mid-north coast. (see full story) File photo... Read more
28-Nov-2012Source: Vancouver Sun
Transport Canada admitted Tuesday it is short of nearly 100 inspectors (see full story)... Read more
28-Nov-2012
A lot of the repairs were “cosmetic,” he said. Many of the plastic fittings had melted and were changed out. The wiring harness from the control panel of the cockpit was changed. Fibreglass windows were replaced. The craft’s blades were changed out as well – the work cost around $250K (see full story) The story... Read more
28-Nov-2012Source: TengriNews
Kazakhstan has applied to French experts asking them to help in the search for the missing helicopter with 8 crew members on board – which was patrolling an oil pipeline (see full story) HeliHub.com has a safety data page at 24-Nov-12 Mil Mi-8 Kazakhstan where we will add other details as they emerge... Read more
25-Nov-2012
German pilot Rico Steger was already the focus of “enquiries regarding the flying records and permit” three weeks prior to an accident which killed the three passengers aboard the EC120 he was flying. This local news report covers this aspect and various other details. The HeliHub.com accident page is at 20-Jul-12 N8899 Eurocopter EC120 Sri... Read more
25-Nov-2012
Azur Helicopter and its Chairman were found guilty on 10th October of “manslaughter by breach of an obligation of safety or prudence.”. This week they have been given a fine of €80,000 (see full story). The accident is in the HeliHub.com accident database at 20-Jun-09 F-GTRF Eurocopter AS350B2 Mount Cordon, France (7F)... Read more
21-Nov-2012Source: Eurocopter
Please find below the latest information following a meeting with the Helicopter Safety Steering Group (HSSG) on November 15, with the participation of Eurocopter President and CEO Lutz Bertling and Eurocopter Executive Vice President Engineering Jean-Brice Dumont. The goal of this meeting was to provide more information on the current investigation and the ongoing tests... Read more
21-Nov-2012Source: HAI
One of the measures on tap for the U.S. Congress’s lame duck session is to pass a bill that would reform the Postal Service (S.1789), due to its serious financial issues. However, the bill contains an amendment (SA2060) that would permit all federal agencies to attend only one association meeting per year. The category of “association meetings”... Read more
20-Nov-2012Source: HAI
Following on from the success of the recent meeting in Albuquerque, N.M., the New Mexico Helicopter Safety Seminar is set to become an annual event. More than 50 pilots attended the Nov. 14 seminar where they received the very latest information on the safety issues facing the rotorcraft industry, presented by some of the top... Read more
19-Nov-2012Source: National Park Service
The National Park Service released a statement this morning regarding the Oct. 3 helicopter crash in North Cascades National Park:- On October 4th, rangers received a report that a leased Robinson 22 helicopter had crashed the day before in a remote area of the park about six miles south of the international border with Canada.... Read more
19-Nov-2012
The Atlanta Police Department’s small fleet of helicopters is scheduled to return to the air Monday, two weeks after the crash of their OH-6A N368PD that killed two law enforcement officers. (see full story) File photo... Read more
19-Nov-2012Source: YES Communications
On Friday, November 16, 2012, an El Paso, Texas jury found a defective flight control component caused the fatal crash of a U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) Eurocopter AS350B3 helicopter on May 22, 2007. The crash killed the pilot and critically injured the other crewmember. The two-week trial centered on claims by the pilot’s... Read more
18-Nov-2012Source: HeliHub.com
A pair of law enforcement Bell OH-58s came into contact with each other on Saturday, just as one was in the process of landing and the other taking off. Pasadena Police are now two helicopters down, but still have four others immediately available according to a local television interview. Both helicopters ended up on their... Read more
15-Nov-2012Source: ATSB
As a result of the ATSB investigation and in order to reduce the level of risk associated with emergency training, a helicopter operator is investigating amendments to their company operations manual. One amendment being investigated by the operator is the requirement for at least 10 kts of wind in the runway direction for the performance... Read more
14-Nov-2012Source: HAI
On Sat., Nov. 10, HAI sponsored a safety seminar at Helicopters Inc.’s FBO at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in St. Louis, Mo. The FAA Safety Team brought together a group of more than 70 helicopter operators and pilots, and provided speakers on a variety of helicopter safety subjects. Topics covered included helicopter accident trends,... Read more
13-Nov-2012Source: HAI
At HELI-EXPO 2013 in Las Vegas, HAI and the HAI Safety Committee will debut the Rotor Safety Challenge — a convenient and economical way to learn industry best practices and safety tools and techniques you can apply back on the job. Free to all HELI-EXPO® attendees and conveniently scheduled on show days, the Rotor Safety Challenge... Read more
13-Nov-2012Source: ATSB
The ATSB’s investigation into a wirestrike accident highlights the importance of a proper reconnaissance when flying in a wire environment and remaining focused only on operational tasks. On 12 June 2012, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 Raven 1 helicopter departed Moorabbin Airport, Victoria with one person on board to conduct a private flight to a... Read more
13-Nov-2012Source: OPB
An Oregon helicopter pilot who rescued a firefighter from the Pole Creek Fire this summer says he feared for his job after the incident. But a new Forest Service review commends both men for their quick thinking and decisive actions. (see full story) File photo... Read more
9-Nov-2012Source: HAI
HAI President Matt Zuccaro and 19 other aviation industry leaders have sent a letter to Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta on behalf of their associations, urging the FAA to continue to press forward with the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). “… As a goal, the FAA should ensure that... Read more
9-Nov-2012Source: HAI
Fly in or drive to this FREE workshop for all helicopter pilots, operators, students, and instructors in the Midwest region! Join HAI’s safety director, the FAA Safety Team, a cast of industry experts and your peers in the goal to reach the highest level of safety! Topics will cover helicopter accident trends, human factors, wire... Read more