Sole occupant pilot Rick Lucas experienced tail rotor failure and helicopter started to spin so he elected to ditch it in the shallow waters of Porirua Harbour, N of Wellington
A Marion County Sheriff’s Office helicopter that was assisting the Florida Forest Service and Marion County Fire Rescue with active brush fires crashed while dipping a bucket for water in a lake. Pilot is named in press reports as Sgt. John Rawls
Precautionary landing made at country club after the windshield developed a crack and its anti-icing system started to short out. It was later flown back to base at Rochester
Airbus Helicopters have today issued the following statement to coincide with the publication of another Preliminary Report by AIBN – the Accident Investigation Board of Norway – into the fatal accident of EC225 LN-OJF on 29th April 2017, it being the first anniversary tomorrow. Further comment is given below the statement Statement from Guillaume Faury,… Read more »
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) takes note of the publication today by the Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) of the preliminary investigation report of the tragic accident of an Airbus Helicopters EC225 (registration number LN-OJF) which occurred on 29 April 2016 in Norway. While the accident investigation is not complete, EASA continues to implement… Read more »
Investigation of helicopter accident at Turøy near Bergen in Hordaland county, Norway Description 29 April 2016 the Main Rotor Head (MRH) and mast suddenly detached from an Airbus Helicopters EC 225 LP enroute from Gullfaks B to Bergen Airport Flesland. The helicopter impacted on a small island east of Turøy. All 13 people on board… Read more »
After hearing a loud noise at an altitude of 3500ft, the pilot commenced autorotation and landed in a field without further apparent damage. Once on the ground, damage was found to a tail rotor control cable
N914ET was on the return trip back to their base when they had a bird strike. They diverted to a local airport to do a precautionary landing and check for damages. No injuries were associated with this incident. There was no damage noted by the pilot or crew. The aircraft returned to base without further… Read more »
With a renewed focus on developing safety enhancements to reduce the number of fatal accidents, the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) has restructured its front line work groups. The structure is closely patterned after the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC), which is a public-private partnership working to improve U.S. general aviation safety. From… 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
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued today a Safety Information Bulletin to remind airlines and aircraft operators of important principles for the safe transport of Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) containing lithium batteries. These principles should be taken into account by the airlines when they perform their safety risk assessment. PEDs containing lithium batteries are… Read more »
Repsol has been called to respond to safety issues brought up by an audit from the Petroleum Safety Authority of Norway. They carried out the audit to investigate the emergency preparedness requirements, the maintenance of safety equipment and evacuation routes and drills, as it is in connection with their Gyda helicopter deck in the North… 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
Life Link III will be recognized for excellence in workplace safety and health at the Governor’s Safety Awards luncheon on May 18, 2017, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Life Link III is one of 266 employers to be honored through the awards program, coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council. “We thank Life Link III for… Read more »
HAI President Matt Zuccaro opened the 2017 Safety Symposium with a presentation of the integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems into the National Airspace System. Zuccaro explained how the technology behind UAS is one that we should aim to develop. He goes further to say that such technology will bring business to helicopter operators and that… Read more »
Sikorsky, PHI Inc. and Outerlink Global Solutions, a Metro Aviation company, today announced that the S-92® helicopter has demonstrated the ability to transmit in-flight, real-time Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) data to PHI’s operations control center. The announcement came at the 2017 Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo show. With this new capability, PHI operators can… Read more »
The offshore helicopter industry’s collaboration for safety was recognised today at the Aviation Week 60th Annual Laureate Awards. HeliOffshore was a finalist in the Safety Innovation category, which was won by Jaiwon Shin, NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics. Mr. Shin’s award recognised his leadership in developing a compelling strategy to guide U.S. civil aviation research…. Read more »
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident(s) of:- Westland Scout AH1 (G-BYRX), control restriction, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, 29 December 2015 Robinson R66 (N166MG), heavy landing, private site, Stowe, Buckinghamshire, 15 August 2016
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… Read more »
The recent “near miss” that occurred on a rig landing by S92A G-WNSR on December 28th 2016 is the latest in a series of major incidents that appear to have been caused by the accelerated deterioration of critical components, this time in the tail rotor bearing assembly (Air Accident Investigations Branch “AAIB” Special Bulletin S1/2017,… Read more »
This year for the first time, EASA and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) are organising the CAAC-EASA Aviation Safety Conference. The aim of this first edition is to broaden the bilateral dialogue, by bringing together authorities and the wider European and Chinese aviation industry to discuss current issues, as well as future trends… Read more »
More than 50 aviation safety leaders from industry and government will gather Feb. 16-17 in Washington DC for the 2017 USHST Infrastructure Summit. The conference, which was initially launched last year, focuses on discussions about the future of helicopter infrastructure within the realm of the low altitude environment of the National Airspace System. The Summit… Read more »
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident(s) of:- Robinson R44 (G-RFUN), helicopter landed heavily and rolled onto its side, near Crowden, Glossop, Derbyshire, 5 August 2016 Robinson R44 II (G-SAIG) and Spitfire IXT (G-CCCA), contact between aircraft on the active runway, Lashenden (Headcorn) Aerodrome,… Read more »
The FAA has been investigating fuel systems after the Flight for Life AS-350 crash last year, where the fuel-fed fire contributed to the pilot’s death and seriously injured the flight nurse. The results show that fuel systems that abide by 1994 federal standards, could eliminate injuries caused by fires in survivable accidents. The problem is that… Read more »
The formal call for papers is officially out for the 2017 CHC Safety & Quality Summit, focusing on the theme “Can we truly manage all of the risk: what if the barriers are not as robust as we think?” In its 12 year history, the Summit has grown to become an industry-leading aviation safety event…. Read more »
Follow a recent landing incident on a North Sea rig, the BBC is reporting that Sikorsky has grounded the S92 pending certain checks. A British CHC machine, registered G-WNSR, had a problem when landing on the West Franklin helideck on 28th December, resulting in large gouges out of the helideck surface as shown in photos… Read more »
Aircraft operators and organisations involved in aviation safety will soon have access to a new method of submitting written notifications to the ATSB of aviation safety matters. This method will allow operators and organisations to report out of their own safety management systems or reporting software and directly transfer accident and incident notifications to the… Read more »
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today issued a final rule that overhauls the airworthiness standards for small general aviation airplanes. This innovative rule will reduce the time it takes to move safety enhancing technologies for small airplanes into the marketplace and will also reduce costs for the aviation industry. “Aviation manufacturing… Read more »
The lack of implementation of the 2015 Directorate General of Civil Aviation proposal of increasing the height at which helicopters are allowed to fly over Mumbai and Navi Mumbai has helicopter pilots and operators very upset. They met on Tuesday to discuss the issue. The increase from 500 to 1000 feet was scheduled in August… Read more »
The team at HeliHub.com would like to wish all our readers a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2017. This is the time of the year we celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus, and we reflect on what that means to us and how it should direct the lives we live. We trust many of… Read more »
Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and Truth Data, a cloud-based flight data monitoring company, are helping helicopter operators improve the safety, performance and efficiency of their helicopters through the use of data. A recently signed memorandum of understanding allows Truth Data to sell Honeywell’s Sky Connect Tracker III system for improved helicopter communications and tracking, and for… 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-CDMG), loss of control during practice autorotation, Manston Airport, Kent, 25 July 2016 Rotorway Executive 90 (G-BVTV), heavy landing, Landmead Farm Airfield, Oxfordshire, 6 August 2016
Oil firm Statoil will not resume using AS332/EC225 helicopters even if Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority decides to lift the ban imposed after a fatal crash off Bergen in Norway – reports Reuters
The Michelle North Scholarship for Safety is awarded to a pilot who has already attained a commercial rating and who demonstrates an outstanding aptitude for safe flying and aviation best practices. The scholarship was founded in memory of Michelle North, a longtime industry advocate of safety, to encourage a stronger focus on safety education and… Read more »
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident(s) of:- SA342J Gazelle (YU-HET), during a maintenance check the helicopter inadvertently became airborne and landed heavily, Stapleford Aerodrome, 6 July 2015. Robinson R44 (G-BZGO), birdstrike resulted in broken windscreen, approx 8 miles north of Manchester Barton Airport,… Read more »
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident(s) of:- Bell 206B (G-OAMI), uncommanded loss in altitude resulting in autorotation and heavy landing, 3 miles WNW of Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire, 10 February 2016
The helicopter hit a pole and crashed at 4.30am whilst engaged in frost control operations due to the pilot being unable to see due to the canopy fogging up. The pilot was injured.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission in New Zealand yesterday added two new significant items to its Watchlist of most pressing concerns. One involves Robinson helicopter and the other safety issues for pedestrians and vehicles using railway level crossings. The detail provided on Robinson helicopters is as follows:- There are around 300 Robinson helicopters registered in… Read more »
The 13th annual CHC Safety & Quality Summit will take place in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas from Sept. 27-29, 2017. Each year, CHC’s Safety & Quality Summit attracts representatives from across the aviation and oil & gas industries to share knowledge and best practices aimed at developing and maintaining a robust safety environment. Since its inception… Read more »
EASA’s Annual Safety Conference is taking place next week on 25-26 October in Bratislava. The topic of this year’s conference is: New technologies and new business models: meeting the expectations of a changing aviation industry. You can follow the 2016 EASA Annual Safety Conference live via web streaming or on demand! View full broadcast program… Read more »
During a protest this Sunday at a North Dakota pipeline construction site, an unmanned drone was shot down after it “came after” a law-enforcement helicopter. The drone, which was operated by one of the protesting activists, put helicopter passengers in fear for their lives reports Washington Times. Due to it’s proximity to a manned aircraft,… Read more »
It must have been with some trepidation that Airbus anticipated attending Helitech this year. For the second time in three years their flagship offshore helicopter, the H225 along with the AS332L2, had been grounded following a tragic accident in Norway on 29th April 2016, leading to an idle fleet of 111 H225s and over $3billion… Read more »
The 66 page Statoil Report into helicopter safety following the Norwegian H225 accident in April 2016 makes some telling comments on the retrenchment by oil and gas operators and the impact on helicopter operators. The investigation team of eight internal Statoil staff and one external member of the Norwegian military met with and interviewed 80… Read more »
On 7 October 2016 the decision to lift the temporary flight suspension of the Super Puma EC225 LP and AS332 L2 helicopters from Airbus Helicopters put in place on 2 June 2016 following the crash of an EC225 LP helicopter in Norway on 29 April 2016. The set of very stringent protective measures which enable the… Read more »
Following the release today by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) of proposals to allow the return to service of Airbus Helicopters’ Super Puma EC225LP and AS332L2, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that its existing restriction, prohibiting all commercial flying of this type by UK operators, is to remain in place. The Super… Read more »
{electronic translation} CAA has, like the British Civil Aviation Authority determined that there is still a flight ban for helicopter types EC225LP and AS332L2 until further notice. This decision follows after Europe’s Aviation Safety Agency EASA today decided to again permit the use of Airbus helicopters EC225LP and AS332L2 Super Puma. The ban on flights… Read more »
Choppair has been issued to pay Emma Bobridge, the pilot of the Bell Helicopter that crashed in 2013, a sum of over $200 000. Emma Bobridge reported negligence by Choppair, she claimed that it felt that her right skid was stuck on the landing mat during take-off. Company Director Micheal Van Der Zypp countered her… Read more »
Safe Flight Instrument Corporation of White Plains, NY received the Safety Award from the Eastern Region Helicopter Council (ERHC) for its Powerline Detection System for helicopters. The award is in recognition of Safe Flight’s innovative life-saving products and for its 70-year commitment to making flying safer. “ERHC salutes Safe Flight for developing innovative safety products,… Read more »
From advanced oil rig inspection to aerial search and rescue missions, the rise of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) use is allowing businesses to utilise new technology across a range of industries on a scale not previously possible. With the UAV market estimated to be worth $5.5bn by 2020[1] there are many opportunities available to rotorcraft… Read more »
Helitech 2016 in Amsterdam, October 11-13, is taking place at a critical moment for the offshore helicopter industry: • The industry has been shocked by a series of accidents including the second and continuing grounding within three years of about 180 large offshore helicopters (H225 and AS332L2) following the tragic H225 accident in Norway; • … Read more »
An internal investigation by oil company Statoil into the cause of the CHC EC225 crash on 29th April 2016, which killed 13 people, has warned safety must not be compromised as operators focus on cost savings. The company has published a report into the incident, the worst helicopter disaster on the Norwegian Continental Shelf since… Read more »
Effective bird control is essential to ensure aviation safety. New awareness for the risk of bird strikes in aviation is being raised by the release of motion picture “Sully: The Untold Story of the Miracle on the Hudson”. Wildlife strikes are relatively infrequent, only 3 percent of the strikes results in aircraft damage and less… Read more »
The Unmanned Safety Institute, a professional organization dedicated to the safe and responsible integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the U.S. National Airspace System, today announced a joint partnership with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) to provide innovative training on the safety and security of UAS to the law enforcement community throughout the… Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.ushst.org) has completed a comprehensive analysis of U.S. fatal accidents that occurred from 2009 to 2013. The data will be used to develop specific intervention recommendations to support further accident reductions. Out of 104 fatal accidents that took place during the five-year span, 50 percent of them stemmed from… Read more »
The 2016 European Aviation Safety Agency’s Annual Conference takes place 25 and 26 October 2016 in Bratislava, Slovakia, coinciding with the country’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. The conference focuses on the topics of future technologies and innovative business models, covering all aviation domains, including aircraft manufacturing, aircraft operations and Air Traffic Management…. Read more »
Airbus Helicopters, Inc. and Precise Flight, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a supply agreement for the Pulselite® Bird Strike Prevention System which will be offered as an option on all Airbus Helicopters models marketed in the United States. The Pulselite® System is an FAA certified lightweight electrical system controller that alternately pulses… Read more »
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accident(s) of:- Guimbal Cabri G2 (G-CILU), main rotors struck the ground, Cotswold (Kemble) Airport, Gloucestershire, 29 June 2016
HAI President and CEO Matthew S. Zuccaro today called the launch of the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee (DAC) “a major step forward in bringing together the appropriate stakeholders to assist the Department of Transportation and FAA in developing and implementing this exciting new aviation technology.” Named as a DAC member in an Aug. 31 announcement,… Read more »
The FAA Rotorcraft Directorate will host its second International Rotorcraft Safety Conference, building on the success of last year’s conference. The conference’s goal is to reduce the national helicopter accident rate. The free event will be held October 25-27 at the Hurst Conference Center near Ft. Worth, Texas. The target audience is rotorcraft pilots, mechanics,… Read more »
International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) is looking for some assistance in circulating a survey they are conducting. It is a short 8-question online survey for which IHST is attempting to assess their impact and success in the helicopter industry. Please complete this quick survey to help them. Many thanks Link to Survey: http://ihst.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2593
Era Group, has announced that David Zaworski has been appointed Director of Safety and Compliance. With over seventeen years of experience in the aviation industry, Mr. Zaworski rejoins Era to oversee the company’s commitment to maintain the highest safety standards. Era’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Chris Bradshaw says, “David brings a wealth of industry… Read more »
We are thrilled to share that the global collaboration of HeliOffshore members was recognised yesterday at an award ceremony in Aberdeen. Russ Gould from Bristow Group and Malcolm Garrington from CHC Helicopter took the ‘Sharing & Learning’ award for the Health & Usage Monitoring System Best Practice Guidance. They accepted the award on behalf of… Read more »
In an article published on 6th July 2016, “Future of H225 compounded by HUMS investigation remark”, I concluded that “The CHC Chapter 11 process has a long way to run yet. The outcome for the offshore helicopter market will be significant as strategies for his large fleet emerge from the affected lessors; all of them… Read more »
HAI Chief Operating Officer Edward F. DiCampli met with the the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team Executive Committee and more than 50 other team members in Denver July 10-11. The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team has an impressive cross-section of industry professionals from the government, helicopter operators, educators, manufacturers, and associations dedicated to improving safety. The highlight… Read more »
EASA published a set of proposals to the European Commission for an update of the rules concerning pilots’ medical fitness, as part of its Action Plan following the Germanwings Flight 9525 accident. These rules are contained in so-called Part-MED, which covers aviation safety rules related to the medical aspect and fitness of aircrews. Released in… Read more »
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced that Indonesia complies with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards and has been granted a Category 1 rating. The FAA first assessed Indonesia’s civil aviation authority in September 1997 and found it in compliance with ICAO standards and then lowered the rating from… 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
Following a number of recent incidents that have compromised safety when aircraft over-flying glider sites have come into close proximity with winch-launching gliders, the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) and the British Gliding Association (BGA) seek to remind pilots about the dangers of over-flying gliding sites, especially as the summer months mean much greater gliding activity… Read more »
The 10th EASA Rotorcraft Symposium will be held on 6-7 December at the new European Aviation Safety Agency’s Headquarters in Cologne, Germany. The forum will include speakers from Authorities, Industry, Operators and researchers. EASA have indicated that if you want to be part of the European forum for the rotary wing community, you should fill… Read more »
Recently I was briefing the HAI Safety Committee on HAI’s Land & LIVE program, also known as our Land the Damn Helicopter initiative. As most of you know, the program promotes a pilot’s responsibility to make a precautionary landing when the flight is not going well. This could be because of deteriorating weather, aircraft systems… Read more »
Safety experts from the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) will be participating on Oct. 25-27 in the Federal Aviation Administration’s International Rotorcraft Safety Conference in Fort Worth, TX. The free conference (www.faahelisafety.org) gathers together rotorcraft pilots, mechanics, small company owners, industry executives, helicopter operators, students and government regulators from the United States and abroad. USHST… Read more »
Speaking before a diverse general aviation audience at the EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta underscored the importance of government and industry collaboration and highlighted a number of initiatives that are making general aviation safer and more efficient. “The passion that drives pilots to fly here, year after year, is… Read more »
Baltimore County (Md.) Police Department’s Aviation Team began operations in 1983 with a small Cessna aircraft that it leased for $1 a year. Today, the elite team responds to some 5,000 calls a year using its fleet of three Airbus Helicopters H125 AStars, the most widely purchased helicopter by U.S. law enforcement agencies. Airbus Helicopters… 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
Paradise is the first helicopter company to provide air tours, charters and inter-island transits to the Ko Olina area, home of the Four Seasons Resort Oahu and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, via the Kalaeloa Airport, a short shuttle ride away. The 90-minute tour, which is the only flight to take guests on a… Read more »
