News & Comment

Alaska B1900C Accident – Contributory ATC Errors

Accidents & Incidents, FDM / Data Recorders, Fixed Wing, Safety Management

Alaska B1900C Accident – Contributory ATC Errors The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) identified contributory ATC errors when they issued their probable cause of a fatal Beechcraft B1900C Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accident in instrument meteorological conditions at Aleknagik, Alaska on 8 March 2013.  The aircraft, N116AX, was operated by Alaska Central Express (Ace) Air Cargo. […]

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Obituary: Offshore Survival Pioneer Dr Joe Cross OBE

Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Helicopters, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

A pioneer in offshore survival, Dr Joe Cross OBE, died in Aberdeenshire on 27 July 2014. Dr Cross started as a naval safety equipment fitter in 1953 before rising to be a commissioned Royal Navy Officer.  However it was in 1975 that he became Managing Director of the Robert Gordon’s Institute of Technology (RGIT) Survival Centre in Aberdeen. RGIT (the forerunner

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FAA

FAA Impose Fines After Maintenance Errors – Just Culture?

Accidents & Incidents, Helicopters, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, News, Regulation, Safety Management

FAA Impose Fines After Maintenance Errors – Just Culture? The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have proposed fining two helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) operators and one airline a total of $12.4 million for allegedly operating non-compliant aircraft after various maintenance errors.  However does this encourage a just, open reporting culture? The Cases In each case it should be

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EASA Launch Helicopter Gearbox Lubrication Rule Making

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management

 EASA Launch Helicopter Gearbox Lubrication Rule Making The first meeting was held last week of a new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Rule Making Team (RMT.0608) on helicopter gearbox lubrication.  The Terms of Reference (ToR) and Group Composition (GC) are here. This activity follows European/US/Canadian dialogue after the loss of Cougar Sikorsky S-92A C-GZCH Flight 491 off Newfoundland,

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OGP Safety Performance Indicators 2013

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Logistics, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management

UPDATE: This article has been reviewed and updated since the publication of OGP’s V1.1 reports adding details that our first edition highlighted were missing. Follow us on LinkedIn for our latest updates.   The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP) has published their annual safety performance review.  Earlier 2012 data is here. The OGP members

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EASA Launch Rule Making Team on In-flight Recording for Light Aircraft

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, FDM / Data Recorders, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Regulation, Safety Management

EASA Launch Rule Making Team on In-flight Recording for Light Aircraft The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has launched a Rule Making Team (RMT.0271 & 0272 [MDM.073 (a) & (b)]) on in-flight recording for light aircraft. The Terms of Reference (ToR) and Group Composition (GC) are here.  By way of definition the ToRs state: …‘in-flight

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Living Near Zero – New Challenges for Air Safety

Accidents & Incidents, Regulation, Resilience, Safety Culture

Living Near Zero – New Challenges for Air Safety Between 17 July 2014 and 24 July 2014 the aviation industry has been rocked by three loses of commercial passenger aircraft and 462 lives: 17 July 2014 Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER 9M-MRD (flight MH17) overflying Ukraine after what appears to have been a surface to air missile attack (see Aviation

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Technology Friend or Foe – Automation in Offshore Helicopter Operations

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management

Technology Friend or Foe – Automation in Offshore Helicopter Operations In London 3-4 July 2014 the Royal Aeronautical Society held a landmark conference on the introduction of automation to offshore helicopters titled:  Technology: Friend or Foe? This RAeS conference was triggered by: a CFIT accident on approach to Sumburgh airport in August 2013 (AS332L2 G-WNSB), the issue, a few

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19 July 1989: Sioux City

Accidents & Incidents, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

19 July 1989: Sioux City On 19 July 1989, United Airlines Flight 232, McDonnell Douglas DC-10 N1819U, en-route from Denver to Chicago, suffered an uncontained failure of the number 2 General Electric CF6 engine’s fan disc.  This resulted in crippling damage to the aircraft’s hydraulics and flight controls. The crew under Captain Al Haynes managed to control the

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Hong Kong Harbour AW139 Ditching – HKCAD Report Issued

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Offshore, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

Hong Kong Harbour AW139 Ditching – HKCAD Report Issued The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (HKCAD) have issued their report into the ditching of  AgustaWestland AW139, B-MHJ, operated by Macau based East Asia Airlines Limited (trading as SkyShuttle), in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on 3 July 2010. From the synopsis: The helicopter took off from Sheung

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AW189 Progress

Helicopters, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy

AW189 Progress Bristow expect to commence revenue flying in Norwich with the AgustaWestland  AW189 during July 2014 according to Bristow VP Operations and Managing Director of Bristow Helicopters Limited, Mike Imlach, quoted by Aviation Week & Space Technology. UPDATE: Later on the 17 July 2014, Bristow issued the following press statement: Bristow announced today that it has

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AW139 Global Fleet Passes 1 Million Hour Milestone

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

AW139 Global Fleet Passes 1 Million Hour Milestone AgustaWestland has announced that its popular medium helicopter, the AW139, has now  achieved 1 million hours of service experience since it entered service in 2003. The AW139 fleet leader has now flown more than 9,300 hours, so another milestone is likely to be passed this autumn. AW reports that 650

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B206B Freewheel Accidents in Sweden & Canada

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

B206B Freewheel Accidents in Sweden & Canada Bell 206B registration SE-HOM, operated by Fiskflyg, was engaged in a periodic Operator Proficiency Check in the vicinity of Porjus in Sweden on 8 November 2012, when an accident occurred. The Swedish Accident Investigation Board (Statens Haverikommission [SHK]) published their final report on 3 July 2014.  They reported: Shortly after touchdown

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Deployable Flight Data Recorders

Accidents & Incidents, FDM / Data Recorders, Fixed Wing, Safety Management

Deployable Flight Data Recorders The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) has come out in favour of deployable Flight Data Recorders (FDRs), i.e. a means to deploy a floating capsule containing an FDR from an aircraft with its own Emergency Locator Transmitter.  This would then preserve the flight data and provide an automatic ELT independent of the aircraft.  The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is

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House of Commons Transport Committee Offshore Helicopter Safety Report

Accidents & Incidents, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, HUMS / VHM / UMS / IVHM, Logistics, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

The published at 00.01 am on Tuesday 8 July 2014. In its conclusions the committee say: Helicopter transfer across the North Sea has inherent risks but remains the most practical mode of transport for the offshore oil and gas industry. Five accidents since 2009 have led to a loss of confidence from the offshore work

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Increasing SAR Use by the Oil & Gas Industry

Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Helicopters, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Resilience, Safety Management

Increasing SAR Use by the Oil & Gas Industry The oil and gas industry is increasingly contracting commercial Search & Rescue (SAR) helicopters to support offshore exploration work and support offshore safety cases. For example, commercial operator Bristow has provided a SAR service in the UK since 1971 (for both government and oil and gas customers) that

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New EASA Structure

Regulation, Safety Management

A new organisational structure for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has been announced and can be found here. This reorganisation follows a decision of the Management Board in May 2014, and follows an extensive consultation, known as the Article 62 review. In the introduction to the paper to the Management Board, a governance body chaired

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Military Mid Air Collisions

Accidents & Incidents, Air Traffic Management / Airspace, Fixed Wing, Military / Defence, News, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

Military Mid Air Collisions One recent accident in Germany and the release of a Service Inquiry into a UK Mid Air Collision (MAC) highlight the importance of managing MAC risk. The UK Military Aviation Authority (MAA) consider MAC to be one of the highest risk hazards in military aviation (as discussed in para 5a of their

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