Operator & FAA Shortcomings in Alaskan B1900 Accident
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 business as [dba] ERA Alaska) on a passenger shuttle for an oil and gas company to a remote production site. The aircraft, N575X, sustained substantial damage during the landing accident, but neither crew or the single passenger were injured. The NTSB investigation identified shortcoming in procedures, training and oversight (both by the company and the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA]). This accident highlights the importance of contractual safety requirements and effective assurance when contracting in air services and operating remote airfields. The NTSB Investigation Before departure from Deadhorse on the short flight to Badami, the weather at the destination airport was reported to be wind from the northeast at 27 mph, scattered clouds with blue skies above, and 1.5 statute miles visibility with blowing snow. As the Alaska Dispatch News reported, during the short flight the airport weather observer informed told the NTSB that he notified the pilots he could “…occasionally see the cold storage camp, which was located ‘1.25 miles away,’ but he did not consistently have 1 mile visibility.” The observer further described the weather as “bad” and that he could sometimes not see the runway. He apparently he advised the pilots to “use their own judgment”. The NTSB comment that “At the time of the accident the Badami METAR reported in part: wind 120 degrees, variable 060 degrees thru 210 degrees, at 30 knots, visibility 0.5 sm in heavy blowing snow, broken clouds at 1,000 feet, and temperature -16 degrees F”. The captain told the NTSB his visibility “…was unrestricted and that he had the runway environment in sight 20 miles from the airport.” After a brief hold, apparently believing visibility was 1 statute mile, he asked the FO to load the instrument approach into the GPS and the approach commenced. The Captain described the approach as normal until he realized he “was too low.” However, the FO told the NTSB he voiced concerns multiple times while on approach, finally saying “watch out,” just prior to impact. The aircraft touched down short, the right main landing gear separated and the aircraft slid along the runway. The investigation does not appear to have reconciled the differences in Captain, FO and weather observer’s statements. This was hampered by the CVR data being overwritten by post-incident engine runs. The ADN reported that the company explained: This particular CVR issue had to do with the configuration of our BE1900C aircraft, some of which have both a CVR and an FDR and some of which only have a CVR. When the mechanic was dispatched out to retrieve the CVR, he accidentally retrieved the FDR only thinking that he had sent in the CVR. Weeks later, when it was discovered that we had pulled the FDR, the engine runs had already been completed after the replacement of the propeller. The CVR and FDR are both in similar orange boxes and everyone thought the CVR was secured. When examined, the FDR did show the accident sequence and was consistent with the reports provided by the flight crew. The company had a pre-flight risk assessment process. According...
read moreNew Airbus Helicopters Designations: A Guide
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). Aerossurance is an Aberdeen based aviation consultancy. For expert advice you can trust on helicopter design, acquisition, airworthiness, operations and safety, contact: enquiries@aerossurance.com Follow us on LinkedIn and on Twitter @Aerossurance for our latest...
read moreMultiple TAWS Warnings Reveal Safety Reporting Issue
Multiple TAWS Warnings Reveal Safety Reporting Issue An ATR 72, abruptly flown at a high rate of descent, descended to 440 feet above the ground level, while trying to remain clear of cloud during an impulsively commenced visual approach, triggering multiple Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) warnings. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), in the first of three investigation reports on incidents with the same individual aircraft, identified ‘significant underreporting…of…TAWS-related occurrences’ by the airline. The Incident On 15 May 2013, Avions de Transport Regional ATR72-212A, VH‑FVR, was conducting a scheduled commercial passenger flight from Brisbane to Moranbah in Queensland. The flight was operated by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA), formerly Perth, WA based SkyWest. Corporate Background: Virgin Australia had made an offer to purchase SkyWest in late 2012, which was completed in April 2013, just weeks before this Serious Incident. VARA continues to operate on a separate Air Operators Certificate to Virgin Australia. While the HQ is in Perth, WA most of their ATR operations are in the East of Australia. These ATRs, first introduced in 2011, were primarily flown on behalf of Virgin Australia, even before the purchase. The acquisition signalled a period of growth for Virgin Australia, seen as a move to challenge Qantas, although VARA did delay ATR72 deliveries in January 2014 as part of a move to cool their expansion. The crew was initially planning to perform an NDB-A approach. After finding out that a Dash 8-300, due to arrive about 2 minutes prior, was to make a visual approach, the ATR crew changed their plans to also conduct a visual approach. The ATSB reported: …after descending though an overcast cloud layer at about 6,000 ft, they [the crew] became visual with the Moranbah township and the area surrounding the airport. They noted some low cloud and patches of fog around the runway 34 threshold. The ATSB report that: During the visual approach to Moranbah, the aircraft descended to a height of 440 ft above ground level as the pilot manoeuvred to avoid cloud. As the pilot levelled the aircraft, a number of terrain awareness warning system (TAWS) ground proximity warning system alerts activated. The aircraft was climbed and the circuit was continued, with the activation of another TAWS alert prior to the aircraft landing. The recorded average vertical speed during the descent from circuit height to 440 ft AGL, the lowest recorded height before the crew initiated a climb, was 1,750 ft/min. Further warnings were triggered by high bank angles on the base leg turn. The Crew The Captain (ATPL, 4,530 hours total, 1,750 hours on type, 3.5 hours in command) had completed the command upgrade just a few days earlier and was the Pilot Flying. The First Officer (ATPL, 2,880 hours total, 610 hours on type) was Pilot Monitoring. The ATSB say: According to the operator’s requirements, the FO had sufficient experience to be paired with a captain who had recently been checked to line. The ATSB Investigation The ATSB identified the following contributing factors: 1) Approaching the circuit, the captain assessed that a descent below the standard circuit height was necessary to avoid cloud, but did not communicate this to the first officer in a timely manner, thereby preventing identification of a descent limit or appropriate approach alternatives. 2) Due to the crew’s focus on avoiding the cloud, the high rate of descent at a lower than normal altitude was...
read moreNose Gear Collapse Filmed By FOD Detection System (Beechcraft Queen Air 4X-DZY)
Nose Landing Gear Collapse Filmed By FOD Detection System (Beechcraft Queen Air 4X-DZY at Tel Aviv) An automated FODetect runway foreign object debris (FOD) detection system, built by US company Xsight Systems, captured footage of Israeli Beechcraft 65-B80 Queen Air 4X-DZY suffering a nose landing gear collapse at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport on 27 July 2013. The presence of fire engines and the late lowering of the nose indicate that the failure of the nose gear to lock had already been detected. Everyone on board was able to evacuate the aircraft successfully. Xsight sold FODetect to the Israeli Airports Authority in 2011: The FODetect®, a unique hybrid optical-radar sensing system, will be used to automatically detect FOD at Ben-Gurion International Airport (BGIA) in Tel Aviv, Israel. The selection of Xsight’s system places BGIA among the leading airports to adopt this automatic FOD detection technology. The IAA’s selection of the FODetect® system for BGIA followed a rigorous two year evaluation process. The IAA determined that the Xsight FODetect® system is the best fit to the airport’s runway performance requirements. Furthermore, the IAA is confident that the FODetect® system will reduce the risk of FOD damage to aircrafts and thus increase flight safety for all passengers & cabin crew members alike. The FODetect® system provides an effective FOD detection solution so that risky and costly damages incurred from FOD can, to a high degree of probability, be avoided. Continuous in-between-movement scanning of the airport runways by the FODetect® system allows for the immediate detection and removal of FOD from active runways. The FODetect® system utilizes unique hybrid high resolution optical-radar sensing technology to effectively detect the object, alert the operator and classify the FOD . Various FOD material types and sizes are reliably detected in most situations including in harsh weather and operating conditions. According to Boeing: Foreign object debris (FOD) at airports includes any object found in an inappropriate location that — as a result of being in that location — can damage equipment or injure airplane or airport personnel. The resulting damage is estimated to cost the aerospace industry $4 billion a year. The most high profile runway FOD accident was the loss of an Air France Concorde in 2000, after a tyre disintegrated after contact with debris from a prior aircraft, resulting into significant damage to a fuel tank. Variants of this system are also in use at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Boston Logan International and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International with Seattle-Tacoma to go live later this year. Aviation Week and Space Technology reports: In addition to scouring a runway approximately every 60 sec. for FOD (FODetect) compared to several times a day by ground crews, new applications include measuring snow depth, runway temperature and contamination (SnowWize), and detecting birds and remotely harassing out of the area with a blast from co-packaged speakers (BirdWize). Last but not least, there is ViewWize, an application that turns the system into a video monitoring asset for situations like the Queen Air prang. UPDATE 28 July 2015: Dubai is also introducing new technology, in their case iFerret from Stratech. The two Dubai occurrences mentioned: A310 S2-ADE 2007 and B777 A6-EWC 2010. UPDATE 8 February 2017: The US Air Force is evaluating technology developed by Israeli company Xsight Systems to rapidly detect damage to runways at air bases outside the USA. Aerossurance has extensive air...
read moreHeli-Expo 2015 ‘Super Medium’ Photo Report
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 agreement with Bell Helicopter, which will provide us with cutting-edge and versatile aircraft that we believe offer an attractive value proposition for operators worldwide. I think this year especially with oil prices coming off as much as they have, it will be tougher for some oil companies to make commitments. On the other hand it may accelerate the drive to phase out some of the older-technology aircraft that are potentially candidates to be replaced with aircraft like the Bell 525, the AgustaWestland AW189, the Airbus Helicopters EC175. Aerossurance has previously discussed the Fly-By-Wire (FBW) system being developed for 525. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EAsvAsQRQ4 The first flight of the 525 has previously been reported to have slipped from Q4 2014 until at least ‘Q1 2015’. It is not clear from Heli-Expo if a further slippage is likely or if the first flight is just days away. It will be interesting to see if the Airbus Helicopters‘ new medium the H160 (formerly the X4) flies first, as both aircraft types first prototypes had their first electrical ‘power on’ close together. Airbus Helicopters H175 The Airbus Helicopters H175, formerly marketed as the EC175, was represented by an aircraft in the colours of launch customer, NHV. The main show news for the H175 was that Bristow Group raised its total firm orders for H175 to 17 and critically also signed a comprehensive support services agreement. Deliveries of the will begin in October 2016 for oil and gas operations. Jonathan Baliff, President and CEO of Bristow Group said: I issued a challenge to the industry at Helitech a few months ago. As Bristow purchases helicopters in larger volumes, we look to partner with aircraft manufacturers who will step up to more comprehensive airline-style purchase and support agreements. We commend Airbus Helicopters for being the first partner to proactively share risk and responsibilities and commit to work closely with Bristow throughout the entire lifecycle of aircraft ownership. Aerossurance previously discussed Bailiff’s Helitech comments in October which show Bristow are increasingly going to use its buying power to leverage through life support advatages. They also indicate that the efforts Airbus Helicopters put in after the EC225 (now H225) shaft failures (discussed by Aerossurance last June when the accident report was published) have been appreciated. They are particularly intriguing as while the Bristow has vowed to reduce the total number of types in their fleet, they are investing in both the H175 and AW189 (which they are the lead customer for both the transport and SAR variants) super-mediums. This order is presumably also sending a signal to other manufacturers in the run up to future purchases. NHV report positive early performance with the H175, after they received their first two aircraft in December and deployed them to Den Helder in the Netherlands. After delivery, according to Pieter Broos, NHV base manager in Den Helder: …we performed at least two commercial flights and a couple of training flights each day. Flight hours rose, the number of flights increased, and we built both the operational and technical experience of the team. It...
read moreTechnical Records – Component Overrun
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 log card to stores for NLG Retraction Jack, the engineer noticed that the last overhaul date on the log card was 24/9/08, more than 6 years ago. The overhaul EASA Form One is dated 25/9/08, verifying the log card. The part has a 12000 cycle/6 year overhaul life, meaning the next overhaul was due in September 2014. The Retraction Jack was removed from the aircraft in February 2015, and the overhaul therefore went overdue by approximately 5 months. The ’cause’ would appear to be the overhaul of the retraction jack being incorrectly claimed on the maintenance database from the date of first fit, 1st April 2009, rather than the date of overhaul. This would have led planning to work on the assumption that the overhaul was due by 31st March 2015, as forecast. Since 2012 [a] procedure, has been introduced for all critical components to be checked by a second member of the tech records department post fitment. This procedure should discover any errors like that made in this case, in time to rectify them before a maintenance activity is due. Therefore this is unlikely to reoccur for any critical components fitted since the procedure was introduced. It is also noticeable that this organisation had anticipated this type of error and had proactively changed its procedures already. Aerossurance has previously written about Professor James Reason’s 12 Principles of Error Management. Aerossurance is pleased to sponsor this Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) Human Factors Group: Engineering conference on 12 May 2015 at Cranfield University: Human Factors in Engineering – the Next Generation For support you can trust on preventing maintenance errors, continuing airworthiness management and safety assurance, contact aviation consultancy Aerossurance: enquiries@aerossurance.com Follow us on LinkedIn and on Twitter @Aerossurance for our latest...
read moreFrench TV Helicopter Accident in Argentina
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, planning and preparation for any aerial activity. Two AS350s were involved, both from different local government bodies: LQ-CGK and LQ-FJQ. At least one is reported to have been a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) aircraft loaned to the film makers. Of the 10 people onboard, 3 were French sports stars, 5 French TV personnel and two local pilots. The accident happened near Villa Castelli in La Rioja province in north-west Argentina. The area is in the foothills of the Andes and is about 1300m above sea level. The Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) has issued a statement: The BEA has been notified of the accident that occurred between two Airbus Helicopters AS 350’s in the province of Rioja in Argentina yesterday, Monday 9 March. The two helicopters, registered respectively LQ-FJQ and LQ-CGK, had eight French passengers and two Argentinian pilots on board. In accordance with international provisions the BEA, representing the State of Design and Manufacture of the helicopters, will participate in the Safety Investigation that has been initiated by its Argentinian counterpart, the JIAAC (Junta de Investigación de Accidentes de Aviación Civil). Two investigators from the BEA, accompanied by a technical adviser from Airbus Helicopters and a technical adviser from Turbomeca, are travelling to Argentina today. Flight International have commented on video footage of the accident. Time have published a piece critical of the production company and French reality TV in general. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1iKgZzPyXU UPDATE 22 June 2015: NTSB has issued a report on another fatal accident, this time a Loss of Control – Inflight at night, while filming a reality television show for the Discovery Channel, involving Bell 206B N59518 in California 0n 10 Feb 2013: NTSB faults pilot, inspector in reality TV helicopter crash. The filming was organised by the production company EyeWorks USA, which has since rebranded itself as 3 Ball Entertainment. UPDATE 10 August 2015: In the case of the US accident, it is now reported that an out of court settlement has been reached. UPDATE 24 August 2015: Another accident has occurred in the US and is covered in an article that looks at safety in TV. UPDATE 13 December 2015: Another TV helicopter accident in Argentina is reported: MTV helicopter crash kills two in Argentina JIAAC Safety Investigation Final Report UPDATE 17 December 2015: The JIAAC accident report on the March 2015 collision has been issued. The accident investigators stating” In an operation classified as aerial work, which involved the transport of passengers and air-air filming activity, there was an in-flight collision between the two participating aircrafts”. The collision was caused by the combination of the following factors: Location of the helicopter that was filming (LQ-FJQ), from the “outside”, in the path of both aircrafts, that significantly limited the visual contact of the pilot who had to move forward in flight in order to film the target (LQCGK); Lack of a formal assessment of the safety risks for an unusual operation (filming and flight in proximity), which prevented the identification and analysis of the dangers inherent to that operation, and the...
read moreUK OHSAG Jan 2015 Minutes
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 the Exploitation of Oil and Gas’ (CAP1145). Items to note: This meeting was held the day before the issue of CAP 1243, the Offshore Helicopter Review Progress Report, which provided an update on the progress with CAP1145 10 months to 31 Dec 2014 (discussed by Aerossurance previously). Communication, particularly to the passenger community was discussed further. UK CAA confirmed that they have trained Flight Ops Inspectors’ to carry of Safety Assessment of Community Aircraft (SACA) inspections (i.e. to inspect other EU states helicopters operating in the UK). In the previous meeting it had been noted that the UK CAA were to ‘investigate further operations of foreign operators in the UK who may not comply with CAP1145’. It was noted that the 6m / Sea State 6 restriction had resulted in more flight cancellations than expected this winter. It was noted that a paper on the future management / control of helideck inspections was to be formally circulated to group members after the meeting for comment. A Cranfield University report on fire fighting on Normally Unattended Installations (NUIs) is to be presented at the next meeting. The draft report was described as ‘well received’ but it is not stated who had seen the draft. Progress on coordinating customer audits was reported and is to be reviewed at the meeting after next. An action was raised to clarify who was ‘driving’ the issue of EBS for aircrew. The Irish Aviation Authority was not invited to this meeting, despite an action on October 2014. There is however an action to liaise with the other North Sea National Aviation Authorities through an EASA Collaborative Working Group. The next meeting is scheduled for late April (conveniently prior to the first HeliOffshore AGM). The meeting interval now seem to have settling at quarterly. Aerossurance covered the issue of the October minutes here and both the previous minutes (with links to all prior meeting minutes) and a recent Oil & Gas UK briefing session here (which includes video of the CAA presentation and panel sessions). Aerossurance is an Aberdeen based aviation consultancy. For expert advice on offshore helicopter safety, operations, airworthiness, survivability and contracting matters, contact us at enquiries@aerossurance.com Follow us on LinkedIn for our latest updates. ...
read moreHeli-Expo 2015 Photo Report
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: …has upped the maximum take-off weight to 5.5-6t, promising to be able to carry 12 passengers a distance of 120nm (222km) with a cruise speed of 160kt (296km/h) at ISA +20°. In other words, matching the performance of the AW139, while weighing 1t less. More on the Airbus Helicopters fleet rebranding. AW609 AgustaWestland have designated Philadelphia as the production site for the AW609. AW anticipate FAA certification on 2017 and say: AgustaWestland currently has two prototypes undergoing flight testing with a third in final assembly. The first prototype aircraft will continue flying at the AgustaWestland facility in Arlington, Texas in parallel with FAA Certification support work at AgustaWestland’s Philadelphia facility. The fourth prototype will be assembled in Philadelphia in 2016. Additionally the AW announced a platform development agreement for the with Bristow Group. The development agreement envisages AgustaWestland and Bristow working closely on a number of activities in support of AW609 program development addressing concepts around operations, regulations, maintenance, configuration optimization, as well as identifying possible areas of enhancement or modifications. Under the agreement, AgustaWestland and Bristow will work to support the development of oil & gas and search and rescue dedicated configurations and capabilities. The companies would provide contribution to flying activities towards aircraft maturity and to address commercial aspects for future AW609 acquisitions. On show was a real AW609 in a dedicated Bristow/Eastern Airways paint scheme. Aw also had a mock-up in SAR configuration. AW139 AW have also certified its popular AW139 at 7000kg and had an AW139 in HeliUnion colours on display. Sikorsky S-92 SAR On the first day of the show Sikorsky recognized Bristow Helicopters’ upcoming launch of the UK search and rescue (SAR) contract and the company’s dedication to SAR over the past 40 years. Sikorsky have certified a 1,200lb increase in gross weight to 27,700lb. This capability can be retrofitted with the addition of just 11lbs of structural reinforcement. Aircraft from 920244 will have this increased capability from build. An integrated TCAS2 capability has also been certified. Sikorsky S-76D Sikorsky have also celebrated the EASA validation of the S-76D, though seemingly not for offshore operations (which has made up around two thirds of the S-76 family’s total flying). Twenty five D models have been delivered to date, with the fleet leader, operated offshore by National Helicopter Services in Trinidad & Tobago at 1300 hours. NHSL are expanding their fleet of D models to 4. The S-76D has also been validated by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). So far EASA have only approved the helicopter for 6 pax in the cabin (as defined in the EASA Type Certificate Data Sheet [TCDS]). Floats have not yet apparently been certified nor is the S-76D cleared for operation in icing. There are no Cat A vertical profiles validated either. A single simulator is in service with FlightSafety at West Palm Beach. Also take a look out for our Super Medium Heli-Expo update. UPDATE 2 March 2018: Heli-Expo 2018 Photo Report For expert advice on helicopter design, acquisition, airworthiness, operations and safety,...
read moreLife Flight 6 – US HEMS Accident
Life Flight 6 – US HEMS Accident (A109K2 N601RX) On 10 January 2003, Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Agusta A109K2 N601RX, operated as Life Flight 6, was lost in a fatal accident in Salt Lake City, Utah in poor weather at night. The helicopter was owned and operated by IHC (Intermountain Health Care) Health Services, Inc. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that: While maneuvering low to the ground during night conditions, the air ambulance helicopter encountered fog and poor weather conditions, and impacted the terrain. Shortly after departing from its hospital base, the helicopter was cleared by air traffic control to proceed through a major airport’s airspace to respond to a medical emergency. After crossing through the airspace, the pilot elected to abort the mission; however, he was instructed by air traffic control to hold and wait for clearance through the airspace due to landing traffic at the airport. After holding for approximately 10 minutes, the pilot stated, “I’m basically inadvertent IMC at this time and declaring emergency…I’m currently on a heading one five zero.” Examination of the accident site revealed the helicopter impacted the terrain on a heading of 150 degrees, became airborne for approximately 1/4 mile, then impacted the terrain and came to rest upright in a grassy field. Examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of an in-flight control or system malfunction prior to the initial impact. Prior to the accident helicopter’s departure from the hospital base, another air ambulance company helicopter attempted the same mission; however, aborted the mission due to fog and deteriorating weather conditions. The pilot and one of the medical personnel aboard were killed and another medic received serious injuries. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident to be: The pilot’s delayed remedial action and continued flight into known adverse weather conditions which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance with the ground. Contributing factors were the prevailing fog, and the pressure to complete the mission induced by the pilot in command as a result of the air ambulance operation. An excellent candid educational video case study on this accident was produced that discussed ‘helicopter shopping’, a practice where hospital dispatchers call multiple operators when one turns down a flight for weather reasons. It also discussed the aftermath of the accident and the powerful emotional effects of a fatal accident. UPDATE: That video was online in 2015 but unhelpfully has since been withdrawn. Safety Resources UPDATE 10 February 2016: Following US NTSB Board Member Robert Sumwalt’s recent HEMS article in Professional Pilot, we thought we’d take a look at how the US HEMS accident rates have changed over the last decade: US HEMS Accident Rates 2006-2015 UPDATE 24 December 2016: Dr Ira Blumen, program/medical director for the University of Chicago’s Aeromedical Network (UCAN) has been tracking US HEMS safety performance since 2000. A recent report based on his data noted: In 1980, a HEMS crewmember had a 1 in 50 chance of being in a fatal accident; today that number is 1:850. From 1972 to 2016 there were 342 helicopter EMS accidents…123 of those 342 resulted in at least one fatality. Some 1,053 personnel were involved in those accidents; 328 died, 116 sustained serious injuries, 136 had minor injuries and 473 were uninjured… [meaning] 68.8 percent survived Unfettered competition has allowed the nation’s HEMS fleet to mushroom from 151 aircraft in 1986 to 309 in 1996 to 648 in 2006 to 852...
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