Human Factors / Performance

HF / Human Performance

Fatal R44 Loss of Control Accident: “Overweight and Out of Balance” Say NTSB

Accidents & Incidents, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Management

A flight with friends for lunch turned deadly when mass and balance calculations were skipped claims NTSB. The survivor said: “Everything was white for a split second…I remember the intense pain, the taste of blood, the broken glass and crumpled metal around me…”.

Fatal R44 Loss of Control Accident: “Overweight and Out of Balance” Say NTSB Read Post »

Poor Painting Prevents Proper Performance: Shorts Sherpa NLG Collapse

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

Despite a Service Information Letter that highlighted the MM instructions, the NLG downlock actuator piston of this smokejumper aircraft was painted. The NLG collapsed on the next landing.

Poor Painting Prevents Proper Performance: Shorts Sherpa NLG Collapse Read Post »

SAR Helicopter Loss of Control at Night: ATSB Report

Accidents & Incidents, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Offshore, Regulation, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

Night SAR single pilot. While descending it entered a degraded visual environment and an inappropriate automation was made. ROD peaked at 1,952 ft/min. Aircraft pulled up at just 31 ft AGL. It was also flown on one more flight after the 159.5% over-torque.

SAR Helicopter Loss of Control at Night: ATSB Report Read Post »

S-61N Damaged During Take Off When Swashplate Seized Due to Corrosion

Accidents & Incidents, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management

An omission in the Maintenance Programme, perceived time pressures to complete the flight due to limited battery power, an insufficient controls check and corrosion during shipping from the Falklands resulted in a dramatic dockside drama.

S-61N Damaged During Take Off When Swashplate Seized Due to Corrosion Read Post »

BK117B2 Air Ambulance Flameout: Fuel Transfer Pumps OFF, Caution Lights Invisible in NVG Modified Cockpit

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

Dimming the NVG compatible cockpit lighting for a flight at dusk meant the fuel transfer pump caution lights were invisible. The failure to turn these pumps on was only evident after flameout. We wrote of this problem 14 months earlier after a NZ HEMS accident.

BK117B2 Air Ambulance Flameout: Fuel Transfer Pumps OFF, Caution Lights Invisible in NVG Modified Cockpit Read Post »

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