We report from the fourth HeliOffshore Conference and AGM on ‘Delivering Our Priorities’ for improved offshore helicopter safety.
“Delivering Our Priorities”: HeliOffshore 2018 Conference Report Read Post »
Taiwanese investigators determined that the hoist hook had been inappropriately assembled during maintenance 2 days earlier.
Hoist Assembly Errors: SAR Personnel Dropped Into Sea Read Post »
The IRCG select Aerossurance as their new aviation consultants. The IRCG contract 5 S-92A SAR helicopters.
Irish Coast Guard Select Aerossurance as SAR Aviation Consultancy Read Post »
A catastrophic accident was prevented by the electrical harness. A series of quality issues were found in the FIPS. In particular screws intended for another part of the unit had been fitted and bottomed out leading to a fatigue failure.
Production Errors on a SAR AW139 Helicopter Full Ice Protection System Read Post »
Maintaining an effective emergency response capability is critical to any organisation contracting for helicopter operations in a hostile environment.
Offshore Helicopter Emergency Response Read Post »
We report from the third HeliOffshore Conference and AGM on deepening commitment and collaboration to improve offshore helicopter safety.
Deepening Delivery: HeliOffshore 2017 Conference Report Read Post »
The undetected failure of a TR pitch change bearing resulted in a horrific winching accident in Taiwan, in which two people died. We delve into the ASC’s final report (only published in full in Chinese).
AS365N3 Tail Rotor Pitch Control Loss During Hoisting Read Post »
Accident investigators make observations on human factors, training, instrumentation design, airworthiness reporting and SAR after the fatal LOC-I of a cargo CRJ-200 in Sweden in an accident reminiscent of AF447.
CRJ-200 LOC-I Sweden 8 Jan 2016: SHK Investigation Results Read Post »
Both OSRL 727s, operated by 2Excel, were in action for an exercise off the Isle of Wight today.
Oil Spill Response Boeing 727s Read Post »
Dutch Safety Board Investigation: “Medical Assistance on the North Sea” The Dutch Safety Board (DSB) has issued their investigation following the death of a sports diver in the North Sea on 11 July 2015. The Incident Two sports divers were diving on a wreck 18km offshore. One fell ill and was recovered from the water unconscious.
Dutch Safety Board Investigation: “Medical Assistance on the North Sea” Read Post »
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 »
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 »
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
Fatigued Flight Test Crew Superjet 100 Crosswind Accident Read Post »
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 »
AAIB Report on 2013 Sumburgh Helicopter Accident (CHC Scotia AS332L2 G-WNSB) The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has published its report into the 23 August 2013 accident were CHC Scotia Airbus Helicopters AS332L2 Super Puma G-WNSB impacted the sea on approach to Sumburgh Airport in the Shetland Islands. The AAIB report is 266 pages long. This article is
AAIB Report on 2013 Sumburgh Helicopter Accident (CHC Scotia AS332L2 G-WNSB) Read Post »
Shell Pernis 11.2t Ethylene Oxide Leak The Dutch Safety Board has reported (in Dutch) on the leak of 11.2 tonnes of ethylene oxide from a overhead pipe at the 550 hectare Shell Pernis oil refinery on 30 December 2013. The leak was detected by a site worker at what is Europe’s largest refinery, surrounded by 500,000 inhabitants. Ethylene oxide is
Shell Pernis 11.2t Ethylene Oxide Leak Read Post »
Aerossurance: Our Top 20 Articles of 2015 As we start the new year we look back on the 20 articles that proved most popular with our readers in 2015. In reverse order: Number 20: Building St Helena Airport – An Industrial Scale ‘Grand Design’ This started with the building of the first airport on the volcanic
Our Top 20 Articles of 2015 Read Post »
Fatal Arctic Bo105 CFIT gives lessons on low level ops, compliance with mx data, cold water survivability, alerting, data recorders and regulatory oversight.
Canadian Coast Guard Helicopter Accident: CFIT, Survivability and More Read Post »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) October 2015 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has just published the minutes of the 16 October 2015 meeting of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG). This is the third and last of the year (compared to six in 2014), postponed from July 2015. The OHSAG was formed as a result of the ‘Civil
UK OHSAG Oct 2015 Minutes Read Post »
We look at some of the problems of error management and ask if we are still making the error management mistakes James Reason warned of in 1997 (spoiler: some organisations are). We also look at drift and how some have failed to grasp its more than poor compliance.
Back to the Future: Error Management Read Post »
Landing briefing missed. ANSV claim Vapp too high (CIAS disagree). No go around after first bounce. NLG & MLG collapse.
ANSV Highlight Procedures & HF After ATR72 Landing Accident Read Post »
Norwegian Survival Suits: Suited for Safety The Norwegian Petroleum Safety Agency (PSA), has published a piece on the history of survival suits in Norway in their latest Dialogue magazine. Amusingly their first illustration highlights a hazard unique to early survival suits that we discussed after the 2014 Oil & Gas UK annual aviation seminar, namely cigarette
Norwegian Survival Suits: Suited for Safety Read Post »
Crashworthiness and a Fiery Frisco US HEMS Accident (Airbus Helicopters AS350B3e, N390LG of Air Methods) Shortly after take-off from a hospital in Frisco, Colorado, on 2 July 2015, Airbus Helicopters AS350B3e helicopter, N390LG, operated by Air Methods as ‘Flight for Life’, crashed in a parking lot 120m away. This was a daytime, Visual Meteorological Condition (VMC), Part 135
Crashworthiness and a Fiery Frisco US HEMS Accident Read Post »
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
UK CAA Helideck Developments Read Post »
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
Firefighters Turn Hose on Drone Read Post »
