As a result of its comprehensive analysis of fatal helicopter accidents, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) determined that loss of control while inflight has been a leading factor in accident causes, especially involving light helicopters. Current light helicopters have flight characteristics that are challenging and demanding of pilot workload. In response, the USHST is… Read more »
Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions leading to pilot spatial disorientation continue to be a leading cause of fatal helicopter accidents. From 2000 to 2019 in the United States, there were 130 fatal accidents directly linked to the issue of spatial disorientation. These accidents occurred regardless of pilot experience and they cut across all industries, including Emergency… Read more »
Can you imagine yourself in a situation where you only had 56 seconds to live? If you are a helicopter pilot and you find yourself in Unintentional Instrument Meteorological Conditions (UIMC), those precious 56 seconds may be a reality. “U.S. accident statistics reveal that a helicopter pilot operating under Visual Flight Rules who unintentionally continues… Read more »
The helicopter industry recorded another year of decreasing accidents, with the number of fatal accidents dropping by more than 20 percent, and a 2.6 percent reduction in the total accident rate (per 100,000 flight hours). Nick Mayhew, industry co-chair of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team, urges the industry to stay vigilant and work hard to… Read more »
Members of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team have completed their collaboration with safety experts within the HAI Utilities, Patrol and Construction (UPAC) Working Group to revise the UPAC Safety Guide for Helicopter Operators. A key section added to the revision focuses on the safety system of Human Performance Improvement (HPI). This is an approach that… Read more »
The first six months of 2020 have been challenging for the helicopter community and for the entire aviation industry, but one positive from the circumstances has been a decrease in accidents. From January through June 2020, the U.S. helicopter industry experienced 42 total accidents with nine of them being fatal accidents. For the same period… Read more »
The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) has released an extensive Recommended Practice document which suggests training scenarios that will mitigate risk and improve aviation decision making. The training lesson plans in the document identify and describe numerous fatal helicopter accidents that involve some aspect showing a lack of sound aviation decision making that placed the… Read more »
The 6th annual U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) Infrastructure Summit was held March 12-13 with 55 participants representing more than 40 industry and government entities. They included OEM’s, operators, the FAA, associations, and safety experts. Attendees of the USHST Infrastructure Summit work cooperatively in a round table format to develop new helicopter safety strategies for… Read more »
Total accidents and the number of fatal accidents for the U.S. civil helicopter industry remained flat during 2019, but the second half of the year reflected fewer accidents (69 vs. 53) and fewer fatal accidents (15 vs. 9) compared to the first six months. The annual numbers also remained below accident totals from five and… Read more »
Sometimes, numbers don’t reflect the truth. To understand the real story, some numbers need to be placed in the proper context alongside additional data. This also holds true when the safety experts from the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) analyze accident data. The USHST has looked at 11 years of helicopter operations data from 2009… Read more »
Members of the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) will be providing their safety advice for Heli-Expo participants in Anaheim at 21 different workshops on a wide variety of topics. Many of the topics link to proposed safety enhancements that the USHST is supporting. The USHST promotes safety and works to reduce accidents through… Read more »
The following guidelines and recommended practices for a helicopter preflight inspection, a final walk around, and a post-flight inspection were developed by the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) for the pilot community and all instructors. These are a dozen actions you cannot forget. No distractions are allowed during your pre-flight inspection. Ensure that the rotor… Read more »
The arrow is pointing in the right direction – – downward. Over the past two decades, the U.S. helicopter fatal accident rate has been cut in half, from 1.27 fatal accidents per 100,000 flights to 0.63. U.S. Helicopter Fatal Accident Rate (5 Year Moving Average, 2001-2019) However, the industry has hit a plateau during 2018… Read more »
As the temperature moves downward during October and November in most of the U.S., the number of fatal helicopter accidents usually moves upward according to the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org). In 2017 and 2018, during these two autumn months, the U.S. helicopter industry experienced 13 fatal accidents, the highest total for a… Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) is calling for more helicopter safety experts to join their efforts to reduce fatalities in the industry. Teams of safety experts have been working on 16 active safety enhancements aimed at reducing fatal helicopter accidents. The focus of the safety enhancements include issues such as loss of control… Read more »
On August 13th-16th Robinson Helicopter Company will host the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team’s (USHST) annual meeting at its Torrance, California factory. The meeting follows the USHST’s recent call to action to the helicopter community to address rising accident rates. The safety conference kicks off with a Steering Committee meeting on Tuesday, followed by two days… Read more »
With half of 2019 completed and another six months to go, the U.S. helicopter industry is experiencing a year of tragic accidents with too many lives being lost. To stem the surge of fatal accidents, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) is calling on helicopter operators, pilots, instructors and mechanics to rely on safety basics… Read more »
With half of 2019 completed and another six months to go, the U.S. helicopter industry is experiencing a year of tragic accidents with too many lives being lost. To stem the surge of fatal accidents, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) is calling on helicopter operators, pilots, instructors and mechanics to rely on safety basics… Read more »
As part of its commitment to drive down the civil helicopter fatal accident rate, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) has issued a report identifying how Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Optionally Piloted Aircraft (OPA) technology can reduce fatalities in high-risk operations. The study by the USHST is part of a larger effort to implement… Read more »
This Thursday and Friday, more than 50 aviation safety professionals and leaders from industry and government will come together in Washington DC for this year’s USHST Infrastructure Summit. The Summit is designed as an industry and government collaborative comprised of groups involved with and impacted by: Heliport Safety, Standardization, Education and Oversight Aviation Weather Gathering,… Read more »
Members of the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) will be providing their safety advice for Heli-Expo participants in Atlanta at 12 different workshops in a wide variety of topics. The USHST promotes safety and works to reduce accidents through a government and industry cooperative effort that has resulted in a decrease in U.S. civil… Read more »
The National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA) in collaboration with the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) is conducting a survey to obtain information and insight on helicopter IFR issues and limitations facing todays helicopter pilots. We are seeking input from ALL HELICOPTER PILOTS who hold an instrument rating conducting any form of helicopter operation that utilizes… Read more »
The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) looked at 10 years of helicopter operations data from Jan. 2009 through 2018 and compared the share of flight hours of every industry type with the percentage share of total accidents and fatal accidents. During this period, U.S. civil helicopters flew more than 31 million flight hours and experienced… Read more »
Safety experts from the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) will be participating on Oct. 23-25 in the Federal Aviation Administration’s 2018 International Rotorcraft Safety Conference in Hurst, 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. Experts… Read more »
Many fatal helicopter accidents involve causes from actions or non-actions that may have occurred months or years before during initial or recurrent instruction sessions. The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) has determined that these training initiatives could improve safety and potentially save lives. Promote the Teaching of Threat and Error Management – Traditional decision-making models focus… Read more »
After analyzing dozens of helicopter accidents that resulted in fatalities for pilots and passengers, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) has determined that the further development and wider usage of these four flight technologies will improve safety across the helicopter industry and save lives. Develop Autopilot Equipment for Light Helicopters – Current light helicopters have… Read more »
Last week more than 50 aviation safety professionals and leaders from industry and government came together in Washington DC for this year’s USHST Infrastructure Summit. The Summit is designed as an industry and government collaborative effort comprised of groups that are involved with; impacted by; have federal, state or local regulatory oversite, jurisdiction and/or enforcement… Read more »
Usually, helicopter accidents occur in states where more helicopters are flying year round and where helicopters operate most often for industry purposes. During the 10-year period from 2007 to 2016, a large percentage of helicopter operations took place west of the Rocky Mountains and that is reflected in the accident totals. Helicopter Accidents – 2007… Read more »
Wayne Fry, FAA Flight Standards Division Manager for General Aviation Safety Assurance, has been named the new government co-chairman of the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.ushst.org). The USHST was formed in 2013 as a regional partner within the International Helicopter Safety Team (www.IHST.org) to lead a government and industry cooperative effort to promote safety… Read more »
Members of the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) will be providing their safety advice for HAI HELI-EXPO 2018 participants in Las Vegas at 13 different workshops in a wide variety of topics. The USHST promotes safety and works to reduce accidents through a government and industry cooperative effort that has resulted in a decrease… Read more »
After analyzing dozens of helicopter accidents that resulted in fatalities for pilots and passengers, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) has uncovered six focus areas where flight instructors can improve safety in the helicopter industry. The facts show that failure in these areas has resulted in lives being lost. Teach the Importance of Pre-Flight Risk… Read more »
After analyzing dozens of helicopter accidents that resulted in fatalities for pilots and passengers, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) has uncovered five vital action items for pilots that will improve safe operations. Focusing pilots on these solutions will allow them to make better choices before and during their flights. The facts show that failure… Read more »
The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) has completed its comprehensive analysis of the root causes of fatal accidents and has developed 22 measurable safety enhancements aimed at reducing fatalities. Detailed descriptions for 18 of the proposed safety enhancements can now be found on the USHST web site. [ http://www.ushst.org/MobilApp.aspx] The descriptions offer information on the… Read more »
The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team has completed its comprehensive analysis of the root causes of fatal accidents and has developed 22 measurable safety enhancements aimed at reducing fatalities. The 22 safety enhancements can be grouped into four categories: Competency Six safety enhancements IMC and Visibility Four safety enhancements (announced on Sept. 6) Loss of Control … Read more »
The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team has completed its comprehensive analysis of the root causes of fatal accidents and has developed 22 measurable safety enhancements aimed at reducing fatalities. The 22 safety enhancements can be grouped into four categories: Safety Management Seven safety enhancements Competency Six safety enhancements IMC and Visibility Four safety enhancements (announced on… Read more »
The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team has completed its comprehensive analysis of the root causes of fatal accidents and has developed 22 measurable safety enhancements aimed at reducing fatalities. The 22 safety enhancements can be grouped into four categories: Loss of Control Five safety enhancements Safety Management Seven safety enhancements (three still in development) Competency Six… 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 »
Members of the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) will be providing their safety advice for Heli-Expo participants in Dallas at 17 different workshops – – the highest number of presentations its members have ever provided at Heli-Expo. The USHST promotes safety and works to reduce accidents through a government and industry cooperative effort that… 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 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 »
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 »
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 »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.ushst.org) is offering a supportive voice to recent changes made by the Federal Aviation Administration in its Practical Test Standards (PTS) for helicopter instructors. (https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/test_standards/media/FAA-S-8081-7B.pdf) “The revision provides examiners a path to mitigate some risks associated with the Flight Instructor PTS requirements to demonstrate proficiency in the touchdown portion… Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.ushst.org) will focus major attention during the next four years on reducing fatal accidents within the U.S. civil helicopter community. The industry-government partnership is targeting a reduction to 0.61 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours, which is 20 percent less than the average since 2009. For a baseline comparison,… Read more »
Raj Helweg, chief pilot of Air Methods, has been named the new industry co-chairman of the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.ushst.org). The USHST was formed in 2013 as a regional partner within the International Helicopter Safety Team (www.IHST.org) to lead a government and industry cooperative effort to promote safety and work to reduce civil… Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (http://www.ushst.org/) will help the Helicopter Association International (HAI) kick off Heli-Expo 2016 by hosting a Symposium for helicopter safety professionals on Feb. 29th in Louisville. The theme of the Safety Symposium will be “Safety and the Bottom Line” and will include presentations focused on showing how safety initiatives and the… Read more »
If the first half of the year is any indication, then 2015 is shaping up to be a very good year for civil helicopter safety in the United States. Total accidents are down 28 percent during the first six months of 2015 compared to the same period last year. In addition, according to the United… Read more »
The U.S. helicopter industry has many unique safety programs – – “Vision ZERO,” “Target Zero,” “Destination Zero,” “Safety First,” and many others. The key to the success of a safety program- – especially one with a goal of zero – – is to implement it as a vital component to an organizational culture. Nulli Secundus… Read more »
A year ago, safety experts at the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) declared that 2014 would be a pivotal year as the helicopter community worked to stem a discouraging increase in fatal and non-fatal accidents. A renewed safety education and communication effort succeeded in reversing the trend as U.S. helicopter accidents totaled 130 during… Read more »
As the chief instructor for Hillsboro Aviation in Oregon and a member of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org), I am in a position to help shape (in a small way) the future of our helicopter industry. In a recent discussion with another helicopter safety professional, we concluded that there are no new ways to… Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) has released new statistics on accident rates for U.S. civil helicopters along with new data on fatal accident rates and fatalities. For the first seven months of 2014, there have been 3.94 helicopter accidents for every 100,000 flight hours. This is a 51 percent decrease compared to the… Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) is calling for more helicopter safety experts to join their productive efforts to reduce accidents and fatalities in the industry. The Implementation Committee of the USHST consists of members from industry and government who are focused on safety management, training, maintenance, and safety technology. They work together to… Read more »
The best way to describe civil helicopter safety in the United States today is “So far, so good.” Total accidents are down 17 percent during the first six months of 2014 compared to the same period last year. In addition, according to the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org), the number of fatal accidents has… Read more »
The phrase, “Let’s be careful out there,” takes on added meaning during the month of July as it tops all other months for fatal helicopter accidents. A decade’s worth of data compiled by the United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) shows that an average of three to four fatal civil helicopter accidents in the United… Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org), has gathered U.S. civil helicopter accident data for the 10-year period of 2004 to 2013 in order to determine year-to-year and month-to-month trends. As expected, when warmer weather arrives during the spring and summer months, helicopter operations and missions increase and the number of accidents rise. For the… Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org), has completed a comprehensive follow-up report to its initial helicopter accident analysis released in 2011. This new report analyzes U.S. civil helicopter accidents that occurred in 2009, 2010, and 2011 and compares them to the previous analysis that looked at accidents that occurred in 2000, 2001, and 2006…. Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (USHST), has developed a free mobile app for iPads, iPhones, and Android phones that will provide helicopter pilots and operators with expert safety information at their fingertips at any time. The app, which will be available for download at Heli-Expo 2014, is the USHST’s first step in its “I Fly… Read more »
The United States Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) has developed a mobile app called iFlySafe aimed at improving safety education and reducing accidents. They’ve released the logo, but not the app yet. Whether they intended to release it by now and it’s been held up – or they are just playing a PR game – is… Read more »
