News & Comment

NTSB Report on C208B Caravan Ditching, Molokai, Hawaii, 2013

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, News, Offshore, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

NTSB Report on C208B Caravan Ditching, Molokai, Hawaii, 2013 The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on confusion over the applicable engine Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) and ditching procedures in a fatal 2013 accident in Hawaii. Cessna 208B Caravan N687MA, operated by Makani Kai Air, ditched off off Hawaii on 11 December 2013,

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Rotor Blade Tool Control FOD Incident

Accidents & Incidents, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management

Rotor Blade Tool Control FOD Incident (Western Australia Police Air Wing Airbus AS365N3 VH-WPX) The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has just issued a report on an incident where a helicopter’s rotor blades were damaged during start up by Foreign Object Debris (FOD), namely a tool that had been left behind from earlier maintenance. The Incident Flight

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UK AAIB: Boeing Safety Responses ‘Not Adequate’

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management

UK AAIB: Boeing Safety Responses ‘Not Adequate’ Six months ago we published an article that discussed the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report into a serious incident involving a Boeing 747-443 G-VROM on 29 December 2014.  AAIB has recently published an update on responses to their recommendations by Boeing.  Two were classed ‘Not Adequate’, one ‘Partially Adequate’

UK AAIB: Boeing Safety Responses ‘Not Adequate’ Read Post »

Pilatus PC-24 Drops into EBACE

Business Aviation, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Mining / Resource Sector, News, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Special Mission Aircraft

Pilatus PC-24 Drops into EBACE As the first prototype, P01, drops into the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva for a day, AW&ST report that: PC-24 Prototypes Are Keeping Busy: The first aircraft, P01, is appearing at the show before flying to Spain for high-speed testing, while P02 has flown to the U.S. There

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UKMFTS Rotary Wing Aircraft Service Provision Contract Awarded

Design & Certification, Helicopters, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Military / Defence

UK Military Flying Training System Rotary Wing Aircraft Service Provision Contract Awarded In the second major UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) contract award this year, Airbus Helicopters has won the contract to provide training helicopters for the RAF, Royal Navy and Army Air Corps until 2033.  Airbus will supply and maintain 29 H135s (to be given the UK military name Juno) and three

UKMFTS Rotary Wing Aircraft Service Provision Contract Awarded Read Post »

Offshore Helicopter Safety Performance: 2016 HeliOffshore Conference Report

Accidents & Incidents, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, HUMS / VHM / UMS / IVHM, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Resilience, Safety Culture, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

We report from the second HeliOffshore Conference and AGM on commitment and collaboration to improve offshore helicopter safety.

Offshore Helicopter Safety Performance: 2016 HeliOffshore Conference Report Read Post »

Bell 412 Cross Tube Failure Case Study

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

Bell 412 Cross Tube Failure Case Study Earlier this year the German accident investigation agency, the BFU, published their report into Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Bell 412HP that suffered a rear cross tube failure during start up at a hospital in Berlin on 6 September 2010. The helicopter was fitted with ‘high’ skids manufactured by Aeronautical Accessories Inc

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EC225 Main Rotor Head and Main Gear Box Design

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Helicopters, HUMS / VHM / UMS / IVHM, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management

EC225/H225 Main Rotor Head and Main Gear Box Design (CHC LN-OJF Fatal Accident 2016) Following the recent tragic accident at Turøy near Bergen, Norway involving CHC Airbus EC225/H225 LN-OJF there is a lot of interest in the Main Rotor (MR) and Main Gear Box (MGB) design of the EC225.  Here we provide some background information on the

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Night Offshore Windfarm HEMS Winch Training CFIT (BK117C1 D-HDRJ)

Accidents & Incidents, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Offshore, Regulation, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft, Survivability / Ditching

During night winch training a German HEMS BK117 suffered a fatal CFIT in the Baltic, highlighting readiness, equipment, procedural and training issues.

Night Offshore Windfarm HEMS Winch Training CFIT (BK117C1 D-HDRJ) Read Post »

5000-1 Safety Lesson: Communication

Human Factors / Performance, Safety Culture, Safety Management

5000-1 Safety Lesson: Communication After their spectacular season, starting as 5000-1 underdogs but ultimately winning the English Football Premiership, a number of commentators have been discussing the success of Leicester City FC and their manager, Claudio Ranieri. In one article, the Guardian observes (emphasis added): They use technology that is more commonplace at the highest level…, regularly

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Chernobyl: 30 Years On – Lessons in Safety Culture

Accidents & Incidents, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Culture, Safety Management

Chernobyl: 30 Years On – Lessons in Safety Culture Late at night on 26 April 1986 in the then USSR, a team of nuclear workers prepared to conduct a test on Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant as part of an otherwise routine shutdown.  The exercise was to test a modified safety system

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UK To Buy “Certifiable Predator B” Protector

Design & Certification, Military / Defence, News, Special Mission Aircraft

UK To Buy “Certifiable Predator B” Protector The UK MOD has announced in a low key contracts notice that they intend to meet the PROTECTOR Unmanned Aerial System requirement to replace the RAF Reaper MQ-9A fleet, through a £415 million Government-Government Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract with the US Department of Defence (US DoD).  UPDATE 27 April 2016: This

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NASA ASRS at 40 and the Continued Challenge of Timeliness for Safety Reporting

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Culture, Safety Management

NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System at 40 and the Continued Challenge of Timeliness for Safety Reporting On 16 April 16 2016 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) celebrated 40 years of operation.  Its origins highlights one major challenge of safety reporting, learning and action: timeliness. The Purpose and Administration of

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C-130J Control Restriction Accident, Jalalabad

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Military / Defence, Safety Management

C-130J Control Restriction Accident, Jalalabad The US Air Force (USAF) Air Mobility Command (AMC) has released its accident report into the fatal loss of control (LOC-I) accident involving of Lockheed Martin C-130J 08-3174 during a night-time take-off from Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan on 2 October 2015.  The accident was caused by the failure to remove a loose article that had been deliberately placed

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A319 Double Cowling Loss and Fire – AAIB Safety Recommendation Update

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Regulation, Safety Management

A319 Double Cowling Loss and Fire – AAIB Safety Recommendation Update The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has issued an update on responses to their safety recommendations from their investigation into British Airways Airbus A319 G-EUOE.  G-EUOE, powered by IAE V2500s, lost both engine fan cowlings and suffered an associated fire on take-off from London Heathrow

A319 Double Cowling Loss and Fire – AAIB Safety Recommendation Update Read Post »

C-130 Fireball Due to Modification Error

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Military / Defence, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

C-130 Fireball Due to Modification Error A botched modification program unnecessarily changed the original design for a hydraulic system modification when a drawing was misread.  A longer hydraulic hose was necessary after that change but an inappropriate design process short-cut meant the shorter hose remained listed as an alternative.  The shorter hose was fitted to the modified fleet

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Fatigued Flight Test Crew Superjet 100 Crosswind Accident

Accidents & Incidents, Air Traffic Management / Airspace, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Regulation, Safety Management

Fatigued Flight Test Crew Crosswind Accident The Icelandic Transportation Safety Board (ITSB), the RNSA, recently issued their report into a wheels up runway excursion accident that occurred on 21 July 2013 to Sukhoi RRJ-95B ‘Superjet 100’ 97005 during flight tests by Sukhoi at Keflavik airport. The Flight Test Objective and the Accident Flight The purpose of

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US Police Helicopter Night CFIT: Is Your Journey Really Necessary?

Accidents & Incidents, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Culture, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

US Police Helicopter Night CFIT: Is Your Journey Really Necessary? On 27 March 2014, at 0147 local time, ex-military Bell OH-58A, N497E, operated by, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) collided with terrain near Tehachapi, California.  The three occupants were uninjured, although the helicopter was substantially damaged. The Accident and Investigation The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

US Police Helicopter Night CFIT: Is Your Journey Really Necessary? Read Post »

Solent Hoegh Osaka Car Carrier Accident

Accidents & Incidents, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Culture, Safety Management

Solent Hoegh Osaka Car Carrier Accident The Singapore registered 180m, 51,770 gross tonnage ‘pure car and truck carrier’ (PCTC) MV Hoegh Osaka, managed by Wallem Shipmanagement Pte Ltd, developed a significant starboard list when turning to port while departing Southampton on 3 January 2015. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) say in their recent report: As the list increased

Solent Hoegh Osaka Car Carrier Accident Read Post »

Marine Pilot Transfer Winching Accident

Accidents & Incidents, Helicopters, Offshore, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

Marine Pilot Transfer Winching Accident (Brim Aviation AW109SP N361CR) During a night Marine Pilot Transfer (MPT) helicopter winching / hoist operation on 21 April 2014, the marine pilot being transferred, was injured. The marine pilot was being transferred from an outgoing ship to a container vessel, inbound to Astoria, Oregon, the 222 m, 27,437 gross ton  MV Northern

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