A Loss of Control – Inflight during a downwind approach to a busy remote landing site. The helicopter crashed in a difficult to access gully and caught fire. It took almost 10 hours for survivors to reach hospital. Five of the 7 occupants died.
Grand Canyon Air Tour Tragic Tailwind Landing Accident Read Post »
The sling for the underslung fire-fighting bucket contacted the tail rotor resulting in a loss of control. Investigators identified a vulnerability in the bucket’s design and shortcomings in promulgating essential design data to operators.
NZ Firefighting AS350 Accident: Role Equipment Design Issues Read Post »
A quadcopter collided with the jetty it was inspecting as the remote pilot tried to maintain visual contact from inside the wheelhouse of a pilot vessel 100 m away.
Inspection UAS Collides with PNG LNG Export Jetty Read Post »
Distracted by radio calls and with a poor split of duties the fire-fighting flight crew missed their high descent rate during their third attempt to uplift water. After the water impact there were survivability issues and one of the crew was unable to escape underwater.
Korean Kamov Ka-32T Fire-Fighting Water Impact and Underwater Egress Fatal Accident Read Post »
Operational pressure, overconfidence and a false sense of security from technology may have contributed to what ANSV describe as an inadequately risk assessed and planned flight.
A Short Flight to Disaster: A109 Mountain CFIT in Marginal Weather Read Post »
The BEA report that during descent a bird shattered the left-hand windscreen and injured the front seat passenger. The pilot was able to make a safe landing.
AS350B3/H125 Bird Strike with Red Kite Read Post »
Hydraulics control system wiring had been misconnected 16 years earlier and repeatedly missed during checks. When inadvertently activated, the “HYD” cut-off caused the TR servo-valve compensator to make the aircraft uncontrollable say GPIAAF.
Fire-Fighting AS350 Hydraulics Accident: Dormant Miswiring Read Post »
The Malaysian AAIB explains that two flying club helicopters had been flying ‘in company’ before the Mid Air Collision and they question the practice.
Mid-Air Collision of Guimbal Cabri G2 9M-HCA & 9M-HCB: Malaysian AAIB Preliminary Report Read Post »
A decline in GOM helicopter usage continues, especially in single engine helicopters. There were two fatal accidents in 2019.
Helicopter Ops and Safety – Gulf Of Mexico 2019 Update Read Post »
The unlicensed pilot of a US registered helicopter lost control trying to hover taxi for fuel in Austria after an early morning flight from Italy.
Helicopter Destroyed in Hover Taxi Accident Read Post »
LOC-I on a low, slow downwind leg. The survivors had not trained with the specific AEA in place. The front crew both became trapped.
NH90 Caribbean Loss of Control – Inflight, Water Impact and Survivability Issues Read Post »
The NTSB issue their preliminary report on an LA air ambulance hospital helipad landing accident.
NTSB on LA A109S Rooftop Hospital Helipad Landing Accident Read Post »
Spatial disorientation in night IMC during an air ambulance helicopter missed approach resulted in a fatal loss of control. The operator’s second night accident in less than three years in similar circumstances.
Air Ambulance A109S Spatial Disorientation in Night IMC Read Post »
Evidence is consistent with a practice autorotation being attempted to an ‘unsuitable’ Alaskan beach. Nr drooped, helicopter hit the sea, survivor found after a delayed emergency response. Airbus advises only ‘minimal crew’ for such training.
Alaskan AS350B3e Accident: Botched Autorotation Practice? Read Post »
Just because a company does the job one way for 30 years and has a 10k hour pilot doesn’t guarantee success. Techniques changed overnight after this accident. Once the tail rotor was catastrophically damaged, the consequences may have been reduced by the Bambi Bucket being a drag chute.
Short Sling Stings Speedy Squirrel: Tail Rotor Strike Fire-Fighting in Réunion Read Post »
During a mountain take-off a HEMS crew are caught out by the poor contrast of rising snow-covered ground.
HEMS EC135T1 CFIT During Mountain Take Off in Poor Visibility Read Post »
An engine overdue for overhaul was refitted and 16 months later failed. The operator was not approved for passenger transport but the company was in financial distress so the pilot and part-owner accepted this charter.
An air ambulance in cruise at c 1,000 ft struck multiple geese, crashing with the loss of 3 lives. At dusk the bird strike risk in that area was ‘severe’ according to USAF modelling, available online as a planning tool.
Deadly Dusk Air Ambulance Bird Strike Read Post »
We question the wisdom of departing a bright, spot lit, landing site to fly over a remote area with little cultural light on a moonless night. We also look at how long it really takes for eyes to acclimatise to total darkness.
Tragic Texan B206B3 CFIT in Dark Night VMC Read Post »
BEA were unable to establish the reason for Loss of Control in the hover. The pilot was suffering from an unreported back condition and the HESLO technique required an awkward body position. BEA make recommendations about wellbeing and personal readiness.
During a mountain rescue a Sécurité Civile EC145 was damaged by loose foliage being recirculated into the main rotor. Afterwards the crew hoist up 4 people and fly two short sectors back to base, exposing 6 people to heightened risk say BEA-E investigators.
Sécurité Civile EC145 Mountain Rescue Blade Strike Read Post »
After a power loss, this air tour helicopter force landed on a beach. Everyone on board survived a 40 ft/s (12.2 m/s) impact, saved by helicopter design features, but the severity of some injuries may have been less if harnesses were correctly worn.
Hawaiian Air Tour EC130T2 Hard Landing after Power Loss (Part 2 – Survivability) Read Post »
The instructor, confident in his student’s ability, let an exercise proceed outside of RFM recommendations. The aircraft contacted the ground with a 6.1 m/s vertical velocity (20 ft/s).
Swedish SAR AW139 Damaged in Aborted Take-off Training Exercise Read Post »
A confused response to an engine issue earlier in the day, a sudden power loss and a failed autorotation…but crashing into trees was decisive in the two occupants’ survival say NSIA.
Latent Engine Defect Downs R44: NR Dropped to Zero During Autorotation Read Post »
An offshore helicopter was caught on deck in a thunderstorm. A helideck lightning strike was suspected but the helicopter damage was not spotted until ashore.
Helideck Lightning Strike: Damage Missed Read Post »
