North Sea Helicopter Safety – Step Change in Safety Event The offshore industry safety initiative, Step Change in Safety, held a workforce engagement seminar on Helicopter Safety in Aberdeen in early March. The presentations are all available to download (click on the presenter’s name below): HSSG Update – Mark Abbey This presentation on behalf of […]
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International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) Update – March 2015 At the HAI Heli-Exp0 2015 in Orlando, Aerossurance attended the IHST Regional Partners Panel as one of the European representatives. The session featured presentations from different national and regional teams supporting the IHST: Introduction IHST Regional Partner Panel Introductory Slides India Rotary Wing Society of India: The RWSI
IHST Update – March 2015 Read Post »
Operator & FAA Shortcomings in Alaskan B1900 Accident UPDATE 10 April 2018: with details below of further NTSB recommendations after a 2016 C208B accident The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has reported on a Beechcraft 1900C accident on the North Slope of Alaska on 23 Nov 2013. The B1900C was being operated by Hageland Aviation Services (doing
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New Airbus Helicopters Designations: A Guide At the same time as revealing their new X4 medium was to be called the H160, Airbus Helicopters unveiled new marketing designations for most of their models at the HAI Heli-Expo in Orlando, March 2015. The rebranding primarily affects the more modern production aircraft (with the exception of military only production types).
New Airbus Helicopters Designations: A Guide Read Post »
An ATR72, abruptly flown at a high RoD triggered multiple TAWS warnings. This incident, 1 of 3 with the same aircraft, highlighted safety underreporting.
Multiple TAWS Warnings Reveal Safety Reporting Issue Read Post »
Xsight’s innovative airport FODetect system captured a nose landing gear collapse on a Beechcraft Queen Air at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport on 27 July 2013.
Nose Gear Collapse Filmed By FOD Detection System (Beechcraft Queen Air 4X-DZY) Read Post »
Heli-Expo 2015 ‘Super Medium’ Photo Report Amongst the news from the HAI Heli-Expo in Orlando on the new super-medium category of helicopters: Bell 525 The Bell Helicopter stand featured a mock-up of the 525 Relentless. Bell signed a letter of intent for 20 with Waypoint Leasing. Waypoint’s Chief Executive Officer Ed Washecka said: We are pleased to sign this
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Technical Records – Component Overun In its February 2015 General Aviation Mandatory Occurrence Report (MOR) Listing, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) summarises an MOR from a twin turboprop operator’s Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO). This MOR is a neat case study on technical record errors and how one CAMO now tries to prevent them. On preparing to send the
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French TV AS350 Helicopter Accident in Argentina (UPDATED with final accident report) The mid air collision of two Airbus AS350 (H125) helicopters on 9 March 2015 resulted in the death of all 10 people on board during the filming of a French TV programme, Dropped, for TF1 in Argentina. The accident highlights the importance of risk assessment,
French TV Helicopter Accident in Argentina Read Post »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) Jan 2015 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has just published the minutes of the latest, 27 Jan 2015, meeting of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG). The OHSAG was formed as a result of the ‘Civil Aviation Authority Safety Review of Offshore Public Transport Helicopter Operations in Support of
UK OHSAG Jan 2015 Minutes Read Post »
Heli-Expo 2015 Photo Report Amongst the news from the HAI Heli-Expo in Orlando: Airbus Helicopters H160 Airbus Helicopters launched the X4 medium as the H160, also adopting a suite of new marketing names for other products. We recently discussed the sole selection of the Turbomeca Arrano for the H160. As noted in one press report, Airbus Helicopters:
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In 2003 a HEMS A109K2 helicopter was lost in a fatal accident in Salt Lake City, UT in poor weather.
Life Flight 6 – US HEMS Accident Read Post »
SNAPpy Action in Norway – The Southern Norway Airspace Project Norwegian Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) AVINOR has established the Southern Norway Airspace Project (SNAP), that went live in late 2014. SNAP was established: … to address present and future challenges regarding capacity, safety, environment and effectiveness. SNAP will provide a new airspace organisation, with associated working
SNAPpy Action in Norway – The Southern Norway Airspace Project Read Post »
Flight Crew Incapacitation – Oxygen System Failure The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has published their investigation report on a case of hypoxia in an unpressurised twin turboprop survey aircraft: On 1 August 2014, at about 0935 EST, a Reims Aviation F406 aircraft, registered VH-EYQ, departed Emerald, Queensland, on an aerial survey task with a pilot
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Aerossurance Commits to the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant Aerossurance is proud to have committed to support the armed forces community by being a signatory of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant. The two key principles are: No member of the armed forces community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to
Aerossurance Commits to the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant Read Post »
Aerossurance Will be Attending Heli-Expo 2015 Aerossurance will be attending the helicopter industry’s biggest annual gathering, Heli-Expo, in Orlando, Florida in early March. Heli-Expo is organised annually by the Helicopter Association International (HAI) and is expected to attract in the region of 20,000 attendees. We will be in Orlando 28 February – 7 March, participating in several industry
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An experimental X-31 was making a routine test flight when disaster struck. NASA produced a unique documentary insight into this accident and its lessons.
Breaking the Chain: X-31 Lessons Learned Read Post »
Turbomeca Arrano Sole Engine for Airbus Helicopters X4 (H160) Airbus Helicopters have announced they have selected the Turbomeca (Safran) Arrano as the sole engine for their new medium helicopter the X4 (UPDATE: to be named the H160). Airbus has also dropped the option of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210E (a development of the PW210S in the
Turbomeca Arrano Sole Engine for Airbus Helicopters X4 (H160) Read Post »
Dash 8 Tail Strike: Weakness in Stabilised Approach Procedures The Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has released their final report on a heavy landing and tail strike that occurred to Porter Airlines Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 C-GLQO landing at Sault Ste. Marie Airport on 26 May 2013. The aircraft landed hard and the tail of the aircraft contacted the
Dash 8 Tail Strike: Weakness in Stabilised Approach Procedures Read Post »
Radar for Wave Height Measurement The EnRoute Wave Height Measurement Problem In 2011 Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) issued their investigation into a S-92A accident offshore Canada in 2009, in which 17 people died and one passenger, Robert Decker, survived. Additionally this accident was subject to a public inquiry. The Hon Robert Wells QC’s Offshore Helicopter Safety Inquiry (OSHSI)
Radar for Wave Height Measurement Read Post »
Wait to Weight & Balance – Lessons from a PC-12 Loss of Control On take off, pitch control of a Pilatus PC-12 was lost resulting in a series of pitch oscillations and stall warnings. Fortuitously the pilot was able to abort the take off with only damage to one main wheel. The incident could have been
Wait to Weight & Balance – Lessons from a Loss of Control Read Post »
Aerossurance Joins HeliOffshore HeliOffshore is a global safety-focused organisation formed by major offshore helicopter operators. They state: We enable helicopter operators to develop, share and apply best practices, create and use advanced technology, and advocate for harmonised flight standards. HeliOffshore is dedicated to achieving the highest levels of safety, in the air and on the
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Inadvertent Fire Bottle Discharge During Maintenance The CHIRP Charitable Trust, who run the UK’s Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme, has reported on an inadvertent fire bottle discharge incident during maintenance in their Air Transport FEEDBACK Issue 113. The Aircraft was on a heavy maintenance input and several teams were busy working in the flight
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Sea State Forecasting – CHIRP The CHIRP Charitable Trust, who run the UK’s Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme, today published Air Transport FEEDBACK Issue 113. This included discussion of a report on sea state forecasting in the North Sea. The original report submitted to CHIRP was: Post CAP 1145 [Safety Review Of Offshore Public Transport
Sea State Forecasting – CHIRP Read Post »
NTSB Report on 2013 S-76A++ Tail Rotor Blade Loss The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has reported on a fatal Sikorsky S-76A++ accident to a Gulf Of Mexico offshore helicopter during a post-maintenance check flight of avionics systems. The accident occurred on 15 March 2013 to N574EH, operated by Era Helicopters LLC. The pilot and
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