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
18-Jan-2013
Pilot heard a change in the engine pitch and managed an emergency landing before the helicopter burst into flames. Agricultural ops... Read more
18-Jan-2013
Force landing after being shot at by militants – photos here. The hydraulic system and genrators were damaged. 1 of the 7 POB was injured... 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
17-Jan-2013
Rolled over onto starboard side on training flight, 2 POB not injured... Read more
17-Jan-2013
Pilot lost visual reference when landing on a snowy surface. Heavy landing, damaged skids and tail boom... Read more
17-Jan-2013
Emergency field landing, with no damage to aircraft. Press reports “sawdust in the gearbox”….... Read more
17-Jan-2013
Hard landing on training flight. FAA report gives reg as N223GM which is not a valid registration. N223GM is assumed, based on it being the right helicopter type and registered to a Designated Pilot Examiner who leases 2+ R22s to Alamo Helicopters... 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
16-Jan-2013
AW109 Helicopterhit crane and crashed to ground, killing the pilot Pete Barnes and one person on the ground, Matt Wood. Top of the crane may have been in the cloud – check photos on the second link below. The crane is marginally south of the H4 heliroute, which has a 1500ft restriction at this point. ... 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
14-Jan-2013Source: HeliHub.com
The West Africa nation of Mali is currently going through a significant period of unrest – and France is the only foreign nation involved in the problem of Islamists invading the northern part of the country. French special forces lost helicopter co-pilot Damien Boiteux after he was hit by shrapnel on the ground – while... Read more
14-Jan-2013
Crashed into a dam near Yo Yo Park airfield, Queensland. Airlifted to hospital in Brisbane. Pilot has burns to his body and face... 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
11-Jan-2013
Shot down by rebels in border region. Army itself says “emergency landing due to engine failure”... Read more
11-Jan-2013
Main rotor blade struck the tail boom during start-up due to a wind gust. Significant damage was caused to the tail boom, with associated damage to the rotor blades.... 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
10-Jan-2013
Helicopter crashed on to highway, killing pilot. Post crash fire. Truck driver injured in the ensuing chaos. No other injuries, despite heavy traffic at the time. Weather reported as wet. Helicopter _may_ have hit wires, causing crash. Pilot reported as ” 42 year old small business owner from Hohenlohe”... Read more
10-Jan-2013
Engine failure during low level powerline operation. Extensively damaged. Pilot walked away... Read more
10-Jan-2013
Emergency landing in field off Espinoza Road... 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
9-Jan-2013
Helicopter landed on ice floe, which then collapsed and the helicopter sank. Pilot rescued. Local temperature with windchill around -50C CADAORS 2013C0108... 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
8-Jan-2013
Helicopter on agricultural ops crashed near HWY 41 and Harlan Ave. near the Fresno Co and Kings Co border... 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
7-Jan-2013
Minutes after take-off from Pucallpa, the helicopter appeared to have a problem en route and smoke was coming from the aircraft. Shortly after it crashed into a jungle area killing all 7 on board – 2 Peruvians – Joel Castillo and Luis Ramos, and 5 Americans – Dan Immel , Ed Córdova, Jaime Pickett, Lee... Read more
5-Jan-2013
Colombian Navy 412 crashed on an EMS mission, killing Ocoró John Jairo Torres, who had over 15 years military experience. Four others to hospital – Pilot Miguel Córdoba, Copilot Juan Pablo Zuloaga; and rescuers Luis Miguel Ibáñez and Ronal Jiménez.... Read more
5-Jan-2013
Word reaching us that a Baltimore Police EC120 has made an emergency landing near the junction of Hanover Street and Reedbird Avenue in Baltimore at 0025 local time. Later flew back to base.... 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
4-Jan-2013
While carrying out taxi after the main rotor blade change, main rotor blades hit the tail boom damaging main and tail rotor blades including tail boom.... Read more
4-Jan-2013
Force landing on highway... 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
3-Jan-2013
Details unknown. Helicopter “missing from radar screens” and not found until 15 days after the accident... Read more
3-Jan-2013
Hit powerlines (note, reg assumed correct but FAA accident report states it is a 47J whereas register and MSN suggest G5A)... Read more
3-Jan-2013
Helicopter went tech at highway landing site... Read more
3-Jan-2013
During lift off, the helicopter’s tail struck the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The helicopter was substantially damaged.... 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
2-Jan-2013
Three killed in night time accident north of Ventura – pilot Gene Grell, nurse Shelly Lair-Langenbau and paramedic Russell Piehl. Reports state it was the helicopter based at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa. Post impact fire. Was en route from Mason City to Emmetsburg.... Read more
2-Jan-2013
Helicopter was one of a pair on low level frost control flight over a vineyard. Weather reported as foggy. Pilot named as Karen L. Johnson, age 62... Read more
2-Jan-2013
Helicopter tipped over onto its starboard side on a training flight landing... Read more
2-Jan-2013
Very heavy field landing of an EMS helicopter – helicopter was headed from Seminole Airport to the Creek Nation Community Hospital in Okemah. Skids collapsed, main blades sliced tail boom. All four POB injured, noting that no patient was on board.... Read more
1-Jan-2013
Dynamic Roll-over on training flight. No injuries reported to instructor or student... Read more
31-Dec-2012
Emergency field landing. Cause not yet advised, as press report of “blown off course” seems so improbable... Read more
30-Dec-2012
Damaged in emergency landing near Vaishno Devi shrine – remaining mostly undamaged and relatively upright into the trees/shrubs into which it fell. Minor injuries to 7 POB, named as pilot A S Parmar and passengers Anita Puri, Meenakshi, Arun Kumar, Arti Devi, Raj Rani and Chetan Kumar. Sources vary, but most report a technical issue... Read more
29-Dec-2012
Emergency landing, Tail boom sliced, damage to main blades. Helicopter remained upright. No Fire. Patient on board... Read more
29-Dec-2012
Crashed into the sea while trying to rescue a swimmer – helicopter had approached to a low hover and then appears to suddenly lose height into the water (see YouTube video)... Read more
29-Dec-2012
Helicopter fell onto its side after pilot aborted take-off... Read more
28-Dec-2012
“Guardian One” Helicopter fell off side of ground handling trolley during run up, causing tail to contact the ground... Read more
26-Dec-2012
The Free Syrian Army claims to have shot down a helicopter over Mazzeh Mlitary Airport as it was shelling a residential area... Read more
25-Dec-2012
Crashed shortly after take-off, killing all five on board. Three were the helicopter crew, two were ground handlers from the airport... Read more
24-Dec-2012
Unidentified parked helicopter damaged by N489AE accident... Read more
24-Dec-2012
While in the hover, boom struck blade(s) of parked helicopter during a pedal turn... Read more
23-Dec-2012
Crashed on landing – the 68-year old owner of the helicopter Trygve Nils Svard was landing at his son’s house. Helicopter started to spin and it was put down hurriedly, remaining upright but catching fire. Photos show a trailer well within the rotor disc area at its final resting spot. Pilot suffered minor burns only.... 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
21-Dec-2012
Shot down – four Russian nationals on board all died – named later in a UN statement as Pilot in Command Ilin Sergei, Co-Pilot Abrakov Alfir, Flight Engineer Egorov Sergei and Flight Attendant Shpanov Nikolai... Read more
21-Dec-2012
Substantial damage on landing... Read more
20-Dec-2012
Pilot decided for an emergency landing. Heavy landing, bounced up into the air and back down on its side. Main rotor mast incl. gear box were separated from fuselage and found 10m from wreckage. All 4 POB safe, left wreckage by themselves and to hospital. One minor hand injury.... Read more
20-Dec-2012
Pilot Douglas Barnett told investigators he was practicing take off and landings when the helicopter became uncontrollable. He said the governor on the engine became stuck while hovering at 12 feet, and he lost control – helicopter rolled over on landing... Read more
