25-Mar-2012
Date is estimate – helicopter was seen being loaded onto a road trailer 26-Mar-12 at Bournemouth Airport being taken for repair. Operator name and registration had been covered over with black bin liners. Training accident, further details awaited – but noting that the helicopter does not look badly damaged from a photo we have seen.... Read more
24-Mar-2012
Pilot flared on final approach to hotel landing site but helicopter did not slow down as quickly as he expected so he increased the flare attitude, causing the tail to strike the ground. The helicopter started to yaw to the right, pilot lowered the collective, resulting in a heavy landing. The pilot and his passengers... Read more
24-Mar-2012
Tail rotor suffered minor damage after it stuck the ground while attempting to take off... Read more
23-Mar-2012
Window blew out in flight, apparently causing door to open. Safe precautionary landing made in local park, not long after take off from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on EMS flight... Read more
23-Mar-2012
Emergency landing in wooded area. Helicopter ended up on its skids with its nose against a wall, narrowly missing a convenience store. Pilot and copilot both both injured... Read more
22-Mar-2012Source: HAI
HAI’s Safety Committee is looking for new members to join its ranks. The primary objective of the Safety Committee is to improve hazard and risk identification, assessment and mitigation with the result of eliminating fatalities, accidents and incidents in the helicopter industry. Also to advise, educate and consult with HAI members and the helicopter industry... Read more
22-Mar-2012
Helicopter struck wires and crashed into the icy waters of the River Volga, killing the pilot. The helicopter was inverted and half under the ice with the pilot (named as Igor Sevbo) trapped inside. Helicopter lifted out by Mil Mi-8 airlift... Read more
22-Mar-2012
Two people hijacked the helicopter, forced the pilot to fly to a prison at gunpoint, and then hovered as a rope ladder was dropped town for prisoner Alexei Shestakov to escape. Prison guards shot at the helicopter in an attempt to force it to land. The aircraft was later found abandoned on the edge of... Read more
21-Mar-2012
Helicopter landing on snow ended up on its starboard side. 2 of 6 POB had minor injuries... Read more
20-Mar-2012Source: TSB
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its final investigation report (A11W0070) into the loss of control and collision with the water involving a helicopter operated by Campbell Helicopters Ltd. that occurred on Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta, on 20 May 2011. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the helicopter, died in the crash. Mid–afternoon on the 20 of May... Read more
20-Mar-2012Source: US Coast Guard
A failure to observe altitude restrictions and maintain situational awareness at low altitudes and high speeds are among six factors the Coast Guard says contributed to the fatal crash of a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter near La Push, Wash., July 7, 2010, according to a final action memo drafted here and released Monday that summarizes the key findings... Read more
20-Mar-2012Source: AAIB
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accidents of:- Agusta A109C (N109TK), emergency landing after bird strike near Kew Bridge, London, 5 July 2011 Guimbal Cabri G2 (G-UIMB), heavy landing, Cotswold Airport (Kemble), 26 October 2011... Read more
20-Mar-2012Source: HAI
Attention All Smooth Operators! Did you fly accident free in 2011? HAI’s Operator Safety Award recognizes operators who concluded 2011 accident-free. HAI provides an engraved commemorative plaque and medallion at no cost to first-time recipients who qualify. Members who previously received an Operator Safety Award and submit an application affirming they had no accidents will... Read more
20-Mar-2012
Helicopter crashed with significant vertical descent rate. see photo here and here.... Read more
20-Mar-2012
The downdraft of a Merlin helicopter on a training exercise at Colchester General Hospital damaged support poles holding up a covered walkway linking Gainsborough Ward with the main hospital building so badly it had to be taken down. Cars in the car park – including a police vehicle – suffered broken windscreens.... Read more
19-Mar-2012Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com is having increasing success with its “Gallery†feature, recording over 9,000 images in its main Gallery, and around 210 photographers have joined as members of the Gallery. The Flickr gallery provides users of HeliHub.com the opportunity to upload their own photos, and the early success is demonstrating just how valuable this will become over... Read more
18-Mar-2012Source: Eurocopter Canada
Eurocopter Canada presents the first “Innovation in Safety†award to Mr. Geoff Goodyear, President and Chief Operating Officer, Universal Helicopters Newfoundland Limited (UHNL). Committee members have selected an outstanding individual in Mr. Geoff Goodyear who personifies what Eurocopter Canada’s Innovation in Safety Award is all about. Active in the industry for over 33 years, Geoff... Read more
17-Mar-2012
42-year-old Shri Rama Krishnan, was flying the Squirrel with two passengers on board on a routine food supply trip when the helicopter went missing, after turning back on encountering bad weather. The helicopter was on charter to the Indonesian arm of US mining company Freeport-McMoRan.... Read more
16-Mar-2012Source: FAA
The March/April 2012 issue of FAA Safety Briefing supports the great safety outreach efforts of the FAA Safety Team’s (FAASTeam) 3rd Annual Safety Standdown. While the main Standdown event is on March 31 in Lakeland, Fla., (in conjunction with the 2012 Sun ’n Fun International Fly-in and Expo), FAASTeam members around the country are hosting nearly 90... Read more
16-Mar-2012
Turkish military MI-17 crashed in a suburb of Kabul killing 16 – reports suggest 12 in the helicopter, 4 on the ground (two women, two children). The names of the soldiers are as follows: Maj. Mithat Çolak, Maj. Şükrü BaÄŸdatlı, Maj. Serkan DoÄŸan, Maj. Ä°smail Cem Yakınlar, Cpt. Adil ErdoÄŸan, Commanding Sgt. Maj. Salih Helvacı,... Read more
16-Mar-2012
Helicopter on agricultural operations crashed in a banana field. Pilot got out OK and then helicopter caught fire and burnt out.... Read more
15-Mar-2012Source: HAI
On Fri., March 23, from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., at the Kibby Executive Terminal of the Salt Lake Intl. Airport, Utah, HAI Director of Safety Stan Rose and members of the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) will bring a day filled with a variety of informative topics such as: HAI Safety Initiatives, MET towers, ATC,... Read more
15-Mar-2012Source: HAI
On Sat., March 24, from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., at the Kibby Executive Terminal of the Salt Lake Intl. Airport, Utah, HAI Director of Safety Stan Rose and members of the FAASaftey Team (FAASTeam) will bring a day filled with a variety of informative topics to make your flying safer and to help with... Read more
15-Mar-2012Source: Bristow Group
Employees in Bristow’s operations in the U.S. and U.K. have been recognized recently for their leadership in safety by industry and government organizations. Captain Jay Slagle from Bristow’s North American business unit was awarded the Helicopter Association International 2012 Salute to Excellence Award of Pilot of the Year. The Association’s awards honor those who maintain... Read more
15-Mar-2012
Engine trouble on approach. Pilot was only occupant, and was not injured. After the landing, the helicopter was on its side in about a marshy area near the side of a lake (see photos in third link below)... Read more
14-Mar-2012
While on “routine aerial patrol” the helicopter crashed into a residential area. Reports vary as to number of fatalities, but general consensus is 7 in the helicopter and 5 on the ground. Nigerian Police press release names four in the helicopter – DIG Haruna John the DIG In-charge of Operations, ACP Garba Yalwa – Pilot,... Read more
14-Mar-2012
Crashed while taking part in oil exploration/ seismic operations on behalf of the Perenco Oil... Read more
14-Mar-2012
conducting low-level wildlife management work when the helicopter was damaged and collided with the ground. The pilot and two crew members received minor injuries and were airlifted to safety by another MNR helicopter. CADAORS ref 2012O0625... Read more
13-Mar-2012
NTSB report states that after an engine surge, the pilot performed an autorotation onto the trees below. The helicopter landed on top of a tree, which lower the helicopter gently as it bent over toward the creek below. As the helicopter reached the water, it rolled on to its side. Fuel from the fuel tanks... Read more
12-Mar-2012
Struck powerlines during agricultural operations, crashed and burnt out killing the pilot – Luke Chassery... Read more
12-Mar-2012
Rolled over on offshore platform... Read more
11-Mar-2012
Helicopter was hovering near the ground when it suddenly crashed.... Read more
11-Mar-2012
Bottle thrown at rotor blades of helicopter, incurring damage. Man arrested... Read more
8-Mar-2012
Agricultural operations – helicopter hit powerlines... Read more
7-Mar-2012Source: FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today asked for public input on the agency’s selection process for six unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test sites. Once the pilot program is established, the agency expects it will provide valuable data to help the FAA safely and efficiently integrate UAS into the same airspace with manned airplanes. “Unmanned aircraft... Read more
7-Mar-2012
“impacted the side of a hill”... Read more
6-Mar-2012Source: DLR
Helicopter flights and landings in poor visibility conditions always present pilots with special challenges. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has now completed a series of tests with a new helmet mounted display and has brought it into use a flight simulator. In future, this display will assist helicopter pilots... Read more
6-Mar-2012Source: HeliHub.com
The Civil Aviation Authority in the UK has produced a very useful guide to EASA pilot licensing regulations. In summary, they tell us this: “From 1 July 2012, EU rules for licence validations will apply to pilots with licences issued outside of the EASA Member States who are engaged in commercial flights in UK-registered EASA... Read more
6-Mar-2012Source: NTSB
For decades, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has investigated accidents and incidents, across all modes of transportation where fatigue was a causal or contributory factor. National Sleep Awareness Week (March 5-9) and the start of daylight savings time on Sunday, reminds transportation operators and the public to focus on fatigue. “While alcohol is often... Read more
6-Mar-2012
JetRanger working with Bristow Academy crashed and turned over. Main rotors ripped off, tail boom damage but skids appear to in one piece? No injuries... Read more
5-Mar-2012
landed in a field with the tail boom chopped in half. Remained upright on skids and two occupants not injured... Read more
4-Mar-2012Source: Yakima Herald
A confidential settlement has been reached in the case of a helicopter crash in Kittitas County that killed four people and ignited a 485-acre forest fire. The settlement comes just days before jury selection in the lawsuit had been scheduled to start Monday in a King County Superior Court. (see full story)Â File photo... Read more
4-Mar-2012
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today announced its Platinum-level sponsorship of one of the industry’s largest and most important safety conferences, the annual CHC Safety & Quality Summit. The three-day, internationally recognized event focuses on the human side of aviation safety, with last year’s summit attracting more than 700 delegates from throughout the world. Sikorsky is a... Read more
3-Mar-2012
Tail sustained damage on take-off... Read more
2-Mar-2012
“Approximately five pieces of wood cribbing came loose from a helicopter load and fell to the ground in an unoccupied open space along the Sunrise Powerlink about four miles south of Interstate 8 and four miles east of Loveland Reservoir,†the company said. “No one was injured.â€... Read more
2-Mar-2012
precautionary landing after a transmission light came on... Read more
1-Mar-2012Source: IHST
The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), a worldwide organization leading a multi-year effort to reduce the civil helicopter accident rate, has added two new members to its Executive Committee – Bill Chiles, president and chief executive officer of Bristow Group, and Capt. John Steel of the Irish Aviation Authority. Chiles heads Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE:... Read more
1-Mar-2012
Hard landing on training flight... Read more
1-Mar-2012
the helicopter was taking part in the filming of an episode of “Top Gear-Korea†when it crashed. Initial reports indicate the crash was caused by a mechanical malfunction at a low altitude. 2 POB were reported safe soon after the accident. A video was posted on LiveLeak.com from inside the cockpit of the whole sequence... Read more
1-Mar-2012
Contacted cables, but landed normally with all three main rotor blades damaged. Pilot listed as Francisco Esquivel Sierra... Read more
29-Feb-2012Source: HAI
To recognize the safe operation of helicopters by its Regular members, HAI provides the “Operator Safety Award” to operators who have not had an accident for the just-concluded year of 2011. Information provided in the Helicopter Operating Statistics (Part 2) will be used to determine eligibility for the Operator Safety Award. Plaques will be engraved... Read more
29-Feb-2012
Tailboom damaged during autorotation landing... Read more
28-Feb-2012
Military helicopter which went to rescue civil helicopter which had crashed (see here) – crashed itself in a mountainous area killing all 10 aboard,... Read more
28-Feb-2012
US Coast Guard MH-65C missing. 1 crew member rescue swimmer CPO Fernando Jorge was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead. Search for the other thre on board has so far found the bodies of Lt. j.g. Thomas Cameron, and Lt. Cmdr. Dale Taylor. The body of Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Knight has still not... Read more
28-Feb-2012
Crrashed in bad weather, injuring the three occupants – Carlos Larios Aguilar, 48 years, the pilot Juan Pablo Moran, 52, and mechanic Jose Gomez, 28.. A military helicopter sent to help rescue this helicopter had a fatal crash itself (see here)... Read more
27-Feb-2012Source: HeliHub.com
The Guimbal Cabri G2 first arrived in the UK just before Helitech, and generated a lot of attention. Designer Bruno Guimbal flew in from France for the event, and the aircraft was presented by exclusive UK distributor Cotswold Helicopter Centre. The Cabri is receiving increased interest from various countries, and the manufacturer has in recent... Read more
27-Feb-2012
Sudanese minister of agriculture, Abdel Halim al-Mutafi, has escaped death in a crash which killed three people. He emerged almost unscathed from the mishap which took place in Sudan’s eastern state of Al-Qadarif, where an Mi-17 helicopter carrying him along with six of his aides and two Iranian investors caught fire during take-off.... Read more
27-Feb-2012
During post-maintenance run-up, helicopter fell on its side, caught fire and was destroyed... Read more
25-Feb-2012
Crash occurred during windy flight conditions, the FAA said. The hard landing bent the tail boom of the aircraft and damaged the skids, among other things. No one was hurt.... Read more
25-Feb-2012
Damaged in heavy landing. Registration per FAA prelim report, but is not a valid registration(!)... Read more
24-Feb-2012Source: IHST
The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), a worldwide organization leading a multi-year effort to reduce the civil helicopter accident rate, has reached a tentative agreement of cooperation with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to enhance the safety of helicopter operations. The Commonwealth of Independent States includes the countries of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan,... Read more
22-Feb-2012
Mid air accident between AH-1W and UH-1Y of the US Marine Corps during a night-time exercise Total of 7 fatalities, 2 in the AH-1W, five in the UH-1Y. The five in the UH-1Y were named later as Capt. Michael M. Quin, 28, of Purcellville, VA, Sgt. Justin A. Everett, 33, of Clovis, CA, Lance Cpl.... Read more
22-Feb-2012
Mid air accident between AH-1W and UH-1Y of the US Marine Corps during a night-time exercise Total of 7 fatalities, 2 in the AH-1W, five in the UH-1Y. The two in the AH-1W were named later as Maj. Thomas A. Budrejko, 37, of Montville, CT and Capt. Benjamin N. Cerniglia, 31, of Montgomery, AL See... Read more
22-Feb-2012
Crashed in open, flat field during agricultural ops... Read more
22-Feb-2012
Helicopter landed due to excessive vibration, which continued as ground resonance which shook the aircraft to bits (see YouTube video)Â 4POB all got out safely – the commander, the second pilot, a doctor and a nurse... Read more
21-Feb-2012
On February 21, 2012, about 1400 central standard time, a Bell 407 helicopter, XA-JMB, had a loss of engine power and impacted terrain near Loma Bonita, Veracruz, Mexico. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged and was operated by Heliservicio Campeche S.A. de C.V. Visual meteorological... Read more
21-Feb-2012
Emergency landing after hitting overhead power lines on night flight... Read more
21-Feb-2012
During mustering operations, the helicopter collided with terrain. The pilot was not injured, however the helicopter was substantially damaged.... Read more
20-Feb-2012Source: HeliHub.com
An inquest in Belfast into the fatal crash of an A109A, registered N2NR, heard today that the GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System) was not switched on. A lawyer for the inquiry, Ronan Daly, told the inquest in Belfast that the GPWS “was not actually in use (and that) it was not the requirement for a... Read more
20-Feb-2012Source: AAIB
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accidents of:- Agusta A109E (G-GCMM), tail rotor strike, Fiveways Trading Estate, Corsham, Wiltshire, 19 July 2011 Hughes 369E (G-KSWI), partial tail rotor control failure, Somerset, 19 June 2011 (1 serious injury)... Read more
20-Feb-2012Source: SAFE
The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee identified loss of control–inflight (LOC-I) as the number one cause of fatal general aviation accidents over the last decade. Consequently, this year’s FAASTeam Safety Standdown offers a multi-layered approach to help pilots reduce the risk of an inflight loss of control. The recently videotaped program is hosted by FAA Research Psychologist... Read more
20-Feb-2012
Engine failure, autorotation... Read more
