News & Comment

Inadequately Secured Cargo Caused B747F Crash at Bagram, Afghanistan

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

Inadequately Secured Cargo Caused B747F Crash at Bagram, Afghanistan The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that a National Airlines Boeing 747 Freighter N949CA that crashed on take-off on 29 April 2013 did so because the five armoured military vehicles (2x12t and 3x18t) on-board were inadequately restrained. As the NTSB explain: These vehicles were considered a special […]

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A319 Double Cowling Loss and Fire – AAIB Report

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

A319 Double Cowling Loss and Fire – AAIB Report The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has published their report into an Airbus A319 that lost both engine fan cowlings and suffered an associated fire on take-off from London Heathrow in 2013. We look at the circumstances of the previous evening’s maintenance on this aircraft,

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UK CAA Helideck Developments

Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Helicopters, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

UK CAA Helideck Developments The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are considering changing how offshore helidecks are approved and assessing the fire-fighting provision on Normally Unattended Installations (NUIs).  The former activity is subject to a public consultation and that latter is being examined by a Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) working group. Helideck Qualified

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DuPont Reputational Explosion

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

DuPont Reputational Explosion Chemical company DuPont (E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co Inc.) has been feted for its safety performance for many years (for example winning the National Safety Council‘s 2013 Robert W. Campbell Award).  Its reputation in the field of safety stretches back to the founding of the company as a gunpowder manufacturer in

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Helicopter Underslung Load: TV Transmitter

Helicopters, Logistics, Special Mission Aircraft

Helicopter Underslung Load: TV Transmitter HESLO In 2014, RF communication infrastructure specialists, The Bridge Network North (now merged into Virtua), undertook a major engineering project at Arqiva’s Croydon TV Transmitter in South London, UK.  Arqiva operate much of the UK TV and radio broadcast infrastructure. The project included the replacement of the 10 tonne, 16m, top antenna

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Metro III Low-energy Rejected Landing and CFIT

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Regulation, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

Metro III Low-energy Rejected Landing and CFIT The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has issued a report on a fatal accident to Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III, C-GFWX, operated by Perimeter Aviation at Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, on the coast of Hudson Bay on 22 December 2012. The route from Winnipeg is normally operated by sister company Keewatin Air, but

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Helicopter Ops and Safety – Gulf Of Mexico 2014

Accidents & Incidents, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Helicopters, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

Helicopter Ops and Safety – Gulf of Mexico 2014 The Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference (HSAC) has been publishing data on the Gulf of Mexico (‘GOM’) offshore helicopter fleet and its safety since 1995. Helicopter Operations: GOM Fleet Data They report that flying activity has remained “relatively constant” for the last several years, with just under 300k flying

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B767 Engine Fire – Ignition from Misrouted / Chaffed Cables

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

B767 Engine Fire – Ignition from Misrouted / Chaffed Cables The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have reported on an engine fire that occurred on 11 July 2014 when: …Boeing B-767-332, registration number N139DL, operated by Delta Air Lines (DAL)… powered by two General Electric (GE) CF6-80A2 turbofan engines, experienced a left engine (No. 1)

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Bristow 60

Helicopters, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy

Bristow Celebrates 60 Years On 24 June 2015 Bristow celebrated being 60 years old.  That was the anniversary of the incorporation of Bristow Helicopters Limited in 1955 by its founder Alan Bristow. The company has picked out some highlights of the company history: Alan Bristow formed Bristow Helicopters in 1955 after securing a contract to supply helicopter crews for

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Scottish Court Orders Release of Sumburgh Helicopter CVFDR

Accidents & Incidents, FDM / Data Recorders, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management

Scottish Court Orders Release of Sumburgh Helicopter CVFDR A Scottish Court has ordered that the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) release the combined Cockpit Voice and Flight Data Recorder (CVFDR) from a fatal 2013 AS332L2 Super Puma offshore helicopter accident at Sumburgh to prosecutors, who will use the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to “provide an expert opinion on

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UAS View of Lomond Offshore Installation

Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Special Mission Aircraft, Unmanned (Drone / RPAS / UAS / UAV)

UAS View of Lomond Offshore Installation Stunning ‘drone’* footage of the BG Group Lomond installation in the Central North Sea has been uploaded to YouTube by Gary Hay.  Alongside the platform, joined by a ‘bridge’, is the semi-submersible accommodation vessel Borgholm Dolphin, hence the helideck on Lomond is marked as closed due to the infringement of the

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US Part 5 SMS Progress

Fixed Wing, Regulation, Safety Management

US Part 5 Safety Management System Progress (June 2015) US Part 121 air carriers now have less than 3 months to submit their Part 5 Safety Management System (SMS) implementation plans to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  Of course the more proactive US Part 121 operators have already introduced an SMS. After a long rule-making process, the final rule

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Firefighters Turn Hose on Drone

Accidents & Incidents, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Unmanned (Drone / RPAS / UAS / UAV)

Firefighters Turn Hose on Drone With the continued popularity and sales of camera equipped ‘drones’* it was probably inevitable that this would happen, but one drone operator John Thompson got more than he bargained for while filming a house fire on 4 June 2015 in the US.  The firemen turned the hose on the drone… The ‘attack’ happens

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Cessna Citation Excel Controls Freeze

Accidents & Incidents, Business Aviation, Fixed Wing, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management

Cessna Citation Excel Controls Freeze On final approach to Traverse City, MI on 26 March 2014 the Pilot Flying of a Cessna Citation Excel N580QS discovered that the aircraft rudder pedals were ‘hard or frozen’.  The results of the subsequent investigation published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed an unusual dormant failure. History of the Flight

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H175

UK OHSAG April 2015 Minutes

Accidents & Incidents, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, HUMS / VHM / UMS / IVHM, Logistics, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Resilience, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) April 2015 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has just published the minutes of the 28 April 2015 meeting of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG), the second of the year. The OHSAG was formed as a result of the ‘Civil Aviation Authority Safety Review of Offshore Public Transport Helicopter Operations in

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EASA North Sea Offshore Helicopter Operations Review

Helicopters, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Culture, Safety Management

EASA North Sea Offshore Helicopter Operations Review Today the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) open the sealed bids for a new research study, EASA.2015.HVP.01, entitled: Helicopter North Sea Operations Management Current Practices Safety Review EASA say: Apart from analysis of past accidents and incidents, the need of more detailed and systematic analysis of the practices

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FSF Launches Offshore Helicopter Standard (BARSOHO)

Helicopters, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management

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?

News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy

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

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Oil & Gas UK Aviation Seminar 2015

Helicopters, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management

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

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

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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Maintenance Human Factors: The Next Generation

Design & Certification, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management

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

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