FSF Launches Offshore Helicopter Operations Standard (BARSOHO) The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) has launched an offshore version of their award-winning Basic Aviation Risk Standard. Aerossurance is proud to have worked on the development of this standard (available to download on the FSF website). In their press release they say: The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) announced […]
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Plunging Oil Prices – Is it All Bad? This tantalising question was the theme for an evening event at the Norwegian-British Chamber of Commerce in Aberdeen on 27 May 2015. The evening included excellent presentations from Jan Erik Berre of DNB and Birgitte Karlsen & Rob Jardine-Brown from Wikborg Rein. Some of our takeaways from the evening: Downturns
Plunging Oil Prices – Is it All Bad? Read Post »
Oil & Gas UK Aviation Seminar 2015 Oil and Gas UK hold their annual aviation seminar in Aberdeen on 2 June. Aerossurance covered last year’s event, which focused on rebuilding confidence and we will be attending again this year. For this year they pose the question: What progress has been made since last year’s Aviation Seminar to
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Antarctic Helicopter Accidents The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has just issued a report into an accident involving an Airbus Helicopters AS350B2 VH-HRQ of Helicopter Resources, supporting polar exploration in Antarctica on 1 December 2013. We look at that and also Antarctic accidents involving 1 French and 3 German helicopters. Australian Accident – History of the Flight The helicopter was
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Happy Birthday – 1 Year of News and Comment from Aerossurance One year today we published the first article in our News and Comment series. Our very first article was: Offshore Helicopter Accident Ghana 8 May 2014 & The Importance of Emergency Response. We were keen to emphasise the importance of emergency response provision, especially at
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Maintenance Human Factors: The Next Generation On 12 May 2015 at Cranfield University, the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) discussed Human Factors in Engineering – the Next Generation. Aerossurance is pleased to have sponsored this thought provoking RAeS Human Factors Group: Engineering event. While the seminar was intended to connect the new generation of aerospace professionals and experienced HF practitioners, it posed
Maintenance Human Factors: The Next Generation Read Post »
Wide commitment to safety through collaboration was evident at HeliOffshore’s first conference, attended by over 150 people from across the offshore sector.
HeliOffshore Inaugural Conference 2015 Read Post »
UK AAIB Report on Two Ground Collisions In their May 2015 Bulletin the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) published two separate reports of night-time collisions between aircraft and obstacles on the apron / ramp last winter. Both highlight factors that can increase risk. Collision 1 The AAIB report that after refuelling at Newquay Airport on
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Ready Salted ATR72 and WP-3D The Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) have reported on a serious incident involving Aer Arann (later Stobart Air) ATR72-212A, EI-REL on 2 January 2014. The findings are highly relevant not only to fixed wing aircraft operating at moderate altitudes over the sea but also offshore helicopter operators. The ATR72… ….carried out a
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Virgin Atlantic Engineers Trial Sony SmartWear (AR & VR in Aviation & Aerospace) Virgin Atlantic engineers at London Heathrow have come to the scheduled end of a 2 month trial of Sony SmartWear equipment. The aim of this wearable technology is to aid communications between line maintenance engineers working remotely on aircraft and engineering support teams. The line engineers were
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Culture + Non Compliance + Mechanical Failures = DC-3 Accident (Buffalo Airways C-GWIR) The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) recently issued a report on the forced landing of a 1942 Douglas DC-3 C-GWIR after an engine failure on 19 August 2013. The Buffalo Airways aircraft was operating a scheduled passenger flight between Yellowknife and Hay River
Culture + Non Compliance + Mechanical Failures = DC3 Accident Read Post »
Helideck, Helicopter and Other Specialist Training Facilities Safety training specialists Falck Nutec (now RelyOn Nutec) have installed an ex-Royal Navy AgustaWestland Lynx HAS3 at their Aberdeen training facility on their helideck training mock-up. This aids the training of Helideck Landing Officers (HLOs) and Helideck Assistants (HDAs) on their OPITIO approved training courses. This replaced a rather more
Helideck, Helicopter and Other Specialist Training Facilities Read Post »
Metro III: Propulsion System Malfunction + Inappropriate Crew Response (PSM+ICR) The Transportation Board of Canada (TSB) recently issued a report into the fatal loss on 10 November 2013 of a Fairchild SA-227 Metro III at Red Lake, Ontario. The aircraft, C-FFVN, was operated by Bearskin Airlines. Both pilots and three of the five passengers were killed in the accident. The accident
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UK CAA to Review IFR Ops Outside of Controlled Airspace The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced it plans an enhanced review of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flying outside of controlled airspace. This is in response to a UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) recommendation in their final report on a serious incident involving a chartered executive Sikorsky S-76C++ G-WIWI in
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The NTSB report on an A320 hydraulic failure with interesting FMEA, automation, crew workload and SB assessment aspects.
What Leaks in Vegas Stays in Vegas – A320 Hydraulic Failure Read Post »
US Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) “Delays & Oversight Challenges” – Inspector General Report We recently published an article on two March 2015 night-time US HEMS accidents. This month the US Department of Transportation’s Inspector General has released a report entitled: Delays in Meeting Statutory Requirements and Oversight Challenges Reduce FAA’s Opportunities To Enhance HEMS Safety The Office
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Human Factors in Engineering – the Next Generation Aerossurance is pleased to be one of the sponsors of a Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) Human Factors Group: Engineering conference on 12 May 2015 at Cranfield University entitled Human Factors in Engineering – the Next Generation: This one day conference aims to bring together industry professionals and a new
Human Factors in Engineering – the Next Generation (12 May 2015) Read Post »
Psychological Screening of Flight Crew The circumstances of the recent loss of Germanwings Airbus A320 D-AIPX in the French Alps on 24 March 2015 has thrown attention on how the mental health of pilots and others in safety critical positions is assessed. Tony Tyler, CEO of the airline trade body International Air Transport Association (IATA), said on
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1950’s Aerial Firefighting and Smokey Bear A look at aerial firefighting 60+ years ago: However, as per the background poster: If you really feel the need to sing along to Smokey Bear we are happy to oblige: https://youtu.be/sfgWbhPYFGI But while in the song it is Smokey THE Bear (to scan better), the Smokey Bear Act of 1952 (16 U.S.C.
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More US Night Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Accidents At the beginning of March 2015 we published an article on the aftermath of a 2003 fatal night-time US HEMS accident: Life Flight 6 – US HEMS Post Accident Review. During March 2015 there were two more fatal night-time medical helicopter accidents in the US. Air Methods EC130B4 6
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De-Iced Drama : 737 in Scandinavia During the approach to the Finnish airport of Kittilä on 26 December 2012, Norwegian Air Shuttle‘s Boeing 737-800 LN-DYM came close to stalling as a result of a blocked elevator. The elevator system worked at only 1/250th of the expected effectiveness according to investigators. The Investigation The Accident Investigation Board
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Loss of the Alexander Kielland The Norwegian semi-submersible floatel (floating hotel) Alexander L. Kielland capsized on 27 March 1980 when alongside Phillips Ekofisk Edda platform. The Kielland had lost one of its five legs in a severe, but not extreme, gale. At 18:30, a ‘sharp crack’ was heard followed by ‘some kind of trembling’. The floatel heeled over 30° but stabilised,
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Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Damages 737 Flying Controls Accident investigators in New Zealand report on damage to the flying controls of a 737 due to a trapped cleaning cloth. The Incident During routine maintenance of a Boeing 737-838, engineers found metal filings next to the stabilizer trim cable drum in the forward electronics and equipment compartment (located
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A320 Unstabilised Approaches: A Descent Below Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) and a Runway Excursion at Lyon An airline introducing a new type suffers a serious incident while training a new captain, highlighting the importance of Management of Change, Risk Assessment and good Training. UPDATE: Then within a year they have a runway excursion after an unstabilised approach at
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