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 »
Bell 407 Power Loss GOM Ditching: NTSB (RLC B407 N373RL) The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has reported on the ditching of a Bell 407 offshore helicopter in the Gulf Of Mexico (GOM) on 11 November 2014. The aircraft, N373RL operated by Rotorcraft Leasing Company (RLC), ditched following a partial power loss shortly after take off from an installation
Bell 407 Power Loss GOM Ditching: NTSB Read Post »
PDG Helicopters Commence UK & Eire Lighthouse Support Contract On 1 December 2015 PDG Helicopters commenced a £13mn helicopter support contract for the three UK and Eire General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs): The Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses, known as the Northern Lighthouse Board (Scotland and the Isle of Man) whose history goes back to 1768 The Corporation of Trinity House, known
PDG Helicopters Commence UK & Eire Lighthouse Support Contract Read Post »
S-92A Emergency Landing: MGB Oil Checklist Recommendation Earlier this month the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board (AIBN) issued their report into an emergency landing of Sikorsky S-92A LN-ONW, operated by Bristow Norway on 4 October 2013. The crew almost ditched due to false warnings created by a single tripped circuit breaker. The Incident The S-92A was returning from the
S-92A Emergency Landing: MGB Oil Checklist Recommendation Read Post »
Misassembled Anti-Torque Pedals Cause EC135P1 Accident The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recently determined that misassembled anti-torque pedals caused an accident to Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter) EC135P1 N911KB, during a post-maintenance check flight by Metro Aviation at Shreveport, Louisiana on 9 November 2013. The Accident The pilot and two mechanics sustained minor injuries and the helicopter was substantially damaged
Misassembled Anti-Torque Pedals Cause EC135P1 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 »
HeliOffshore Launch HUMS Best Practice Guide The offshore helicopter safety organisation, HeliOffshore, has today launched a Health & Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) Best Practice Guide to standardise and improve HUMS use worldwide. The main element of helicopter HUMS is Vibration Health Monitoring (VHM), designed to detect developing mechanical failures in safety critical transmission and rotor systems components.
HeliOffshore Launch HUMS Best Practice Guide Read Post »
New NHV Heliport Under Construction in Aberdeen At a time of low oil price it might be surprising to hear that a new heliport is being constructed at Aberdeen Airport in Scotland, but that is what is currently happening. Belgian operator NHV, the launch customer for the EC175 (now H175), has previously been reported to have been keen to establish
New NHV Heliport Under Construction in Aberdeen Read Post »
Regulation (EU) 376/2014: Reporting, Analysis and Follow-up of Occurrences in Civil Aviation On 15 November 2015, a new European Union wide aviation reporting regulation came into force. The European Commission has created a safety reporting portal. Previously Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) was effectively regulated by a Directive 2003/42/EC to each nation to create compatible national regulation. That directive is
CHIRP Critical of an Oil Company’s Commercial Practices The CHIRP Charitable Trust, who run the UK’s Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP), has highlighted two “of the many” reports received relating to an oil company changing its North Sea helicopter operator for the second time in three years. CHIRP do not name the oil company.
CHIRP Critical of an Oil Company’s Commercial Practices Read Post »
HeliOffshore Progress One Year On We first reported on the plan to create HeliOffshore in June 2014. HeliOffshore was formally launched on 21 October 2014 in London and held its first AGM and conference in Lisbon in May 2015. When membership was opened up beyond helicopter operators in January 2015, Aerossurance is pleased to have been one
HeliOffshore Progress One Year On Read Post »
AAIB: The helicopter was operated for a “sustained period” with the fuel transfer pumps off despite low fuel warnings being triggered and acknowledged.
AAIB Report on Glasgow Police EC135T2+ Clutha Helicopter Accident Read Post »
EASA Annual Safety Review 2014 Published The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Annual Safety Review for 2014 is now available at: https://www.easa.europa.eu/newsroom-and-events/general-publications/annual-safety-review-2014 Worldwide in 2014, 16 fatal accidents involved Commercial Air Transport (CAT) aeroplanes (excluding MH17, that was considered to be a hostile act). This was two more than 2014, but still significantly below the average number of fatal accidents
EASA Annual Safety Review 2014 Published Read Post »
Fatal Night-time UK AW139 Accident Highlights Business Aviation Safety Lessons The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has published their report into the fatal accident to AgustaWestland AW139 G-LBAL on 13 March 2014. This accident reinforces many important past lessons on business aviation safety, managing clients, training, human factors and learning from previous accidents. The helicopter, owned by Haughey Air, departed from a
Fatal Night-time UK AW139 Accident Highlights Business Aviation Safety Lessons Read Post »
An NTSB report on an EC130 helicopter wirestrike accident that illustrates the need fully plan and risk assess last minute changes in plan.
Beware Last Minute Changes in Plan Read Post »
French Skyscraper HESLO: Helicopter Underslung Load A stunning video, from Bouygues Construction, shows the construction of the the tower on top of the €124 million Incity building in Lyon, the third highest in France. The last two components of the tower were lifted into place by an Airbus Helicopters AS332C helicopter on Sunday 21 June 2015 as a Helicopter External Sling Load Operation (HESLO). The spire,
French Skyscraper HESLO: Helicopter Underslung Load Read Post »
HTAWS Technology: Friend or Foe? Technology has great potential to reduce aviation risk. The European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) issued a study in October 2014 on the safety value of technology. Terrain Avoidance and Warning Systems (TAWS) have proved highly effective at fixed wing Approach and Landing Accident Reduction (ALAR). On 20 February 2014, the Federal Aviation
HTAWS Technology: Friend or Foe? Read Post »
CHIRP – Independent Review The results of an independent review on the work of CHIRP (the Confidential Human Factors Incident Report Programme) have just been published by the British charitable trust. CHIRP Chief Executive Ian Dugmore commented that the review: …reaffirmed the requirement for an independent and confidential reporting system for the UK and recommended that
CHIRP – Independent Review Read Post »
Loose B-Nut: Accident During Helicopter Maintenance Check Flight Another investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), published on 13 July 2015, has highlighted poor maintenance standards and continuing airworthiness management in a US helicopter operator. The NTSB report that on 1 January 2014, Airbus Helicopters EC130B4, N133GC, operated by Papillon Airways Inc (PAI), was
Loose B-Nut: Accident During Helicopter Maintenance Check Flight Read Post »
‘Procedural drift’ in the operating detachment was noted by the Service Inquiry into a British military helicopter accident in Afghanistan that killed 5 service personnel. This drift is said to have allowed standards to dilute during sustained operations in theatre.
‘Procedural Drift’: Lynx CFIT in Afghanistan Read Post »
What the HEC?! – Human External Cargo Winching (or hoisting), used for Search & Rescue (SAR) or for personnel transfer to and from otherwise difficult to access locations, is the most widely known form of what is known as Human External Cargo. Some operators however transfer personnel by harnesses on long-lines. Here Southern California Edison
What the HEC?! – Human External Cargo 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 »
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
Helicopter Underslung Load: TV Transmitter Read Post »
CHC FY2015 Results & Restructuring On 29 June 2015 CHC Group (NYSE: HELI), the parent company of CHC Helicopter, reported on Fiscal Year 2015 (to end April 2015). The headlines are: Full-year revenue down 3% to $1.7 billion with a net loss of $795 million (compared to $1.78 billion and a net loss of $171 million in
CHC FY2015 Results & Restructuring Read Post »
