Human Factors / Performance

HF / Human Performance

US BSEE Helideck A-NPR / Bell 430 Tail Strike

Accidents & Incidents, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Management

US BSEE Helideck A-NPR / Bell 430 Tail Strike The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) issued an Advance Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking on Helideck and Aviation Fuel Safety for Fixed Offshore Facilities on 24 September 2014.  BSEE explain: Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has broad authority regarding helicopter-related safety issues and onshore and offshore […]

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Medevac Misadventure – Inquest in the Yukon

Accidents & Incidents, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Logistics, Mining / Resource Sector, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

Medevac Misadventure – Inquest in the Yukon The Coroner for Canada’s Yukon Territory has recommended a review of procedures for medical evacuations (medevacs) following the death on board an air ambulance of a 31 year-old woman from Carmacks in November 2013, CBC has reported. In particular the wrong IV tubing was taken on the aircraft as different

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North Sea Offshore Standardised Clothing Policy

Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

North Sea Offshore Standardised Clothing Policy As anticipated previously by Aerossurance, a new standardised clothing policy is being introduced for helicopter travel to offshore installations in UK waters.  It defines what should and should not be worn under survival suits. The policy is effective from Wednesday, 1st October 2014, in-line with the changeover to the winter season. UPDATE

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Site of the G-CRST helicopter accident

Fatal Helicopter / Crane Collision – London Jan 2013

Accidents & Incidents, Air Traffic Management / Airspace, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Business Aviation, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management

Fatal Helicopter / Crane Collision – London Jan 2013 While manoeuvring over the River Thames, an AgustaWestland A109E helicopter, G-CRST, operated by charter company Rotormotion, collided at 700ft amsl with a crane in Vauxhall, Central London.  The crane was atop the 50 storey St George Wharf Tower.  The helicopter pilot and a passer-by died.  The UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB)

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GM Ignition Switch Debacle – Safety Lessons

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Human Factors / Performance, News, Safety Culture, Safety Management

GM Ignition Switch Debacle – Safety Lessons General Motors has faced intense criticism, large fines, on-going court cases and big rectification costs after mishandling a dangerous design fault in millions of vehicles.  So are there safety lessons for other organisations? Aerossurance thinks so. Some have commented that this is a case of corporate complacency while others, similar to Edward

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Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group & OGUK Helicopter Briefing

Accidents & Incidents, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, HUMS / VHM / UMS / IVHM, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published the minutes of the latest, 14 August 2014, 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

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Business Jet Collides With ‘Uncharted’ Obstacle During Go-Around

Accidents & Incidents, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Business Aviation, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Management

Business Jet Collides With ‘Uncharted’ Obstacle During Go-Around Five people died when a business jet collided with what the NTSB originally stated was an un-charted 72 ft concrete powerline pole, built 0.25 miles from the departure end of the runway, during a nighttime go-around. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have issued a factual update

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Wrong Deck Landings

Accidents & Incidents, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Culture, Safety Management

Wrong Deck Landings Occasionally, offshore helicopters do land on the wrong offshore installation.  On 26 August 2014 the media picked up an such an event that occurred a few days earlier involving a Sikorsky S-92A. So is it a big deal?  Well, yes and no! There are good reasons to avoid landing on a deck that is

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Technology Friend or Foe – Automation in Offshore Helicopter Operations

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management

Technology Friend or Foe – Automation in Offshore Helicopter Operations In London 3-4 July 2014 the Royal Aeronautical Society held a landmark conference on the introduction of automation to offshore helicopters titled:  Technology: Friend or Foe? This RAeS conference was triggered by: a CFIT accident on approach to Sumburgh airport in August 2013 (AS332L2 G-WNSB), the issue, a few

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House of Commons Transport Committee Offshore Helicopter Safety Report

Accidents & Incidents, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, HUMS / VHM / UMS / IVHM, Logistics, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

The published at 00.01 am on Tuesday 8 July 2014. In its conclusions the committee say: Helicopter transfer across the North Sea has inherent risks but remains the most practical mode of transport for the offshore oil and gas industry. Five accidents since 2009 have led to a loss of confidence from the offshore work

House of Commons Transport Committee Offshore Helicopter Safety Report Read Post »

‘Freedom to speak up?’ in the NHS: independent review

Accidents & Incidents, Human Factors / Performance, News, Safety Culture, Safety Management

Sir Robert Francis QC is to chair an independent review into creating an open and honest reporting culture in the National Health Service (NHS). It has been announced that the review will: …provide independent advice and recommendations to ensure that: NHS workers can raise concerns in the public interest with confidence that they will not

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Misjudgement during abrupt helicopter maneuvering

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

Misjudgement during abrupt helicopter manoeuvring (AS350B3 LN-OVO) The Accident Investigation Board Norway (the Statens Havarikommisjon for Transport) has issued its report into an accident that occurred to Airbus Helicopters AS350B3, LN-OVO, operated by Fonnafly AS, on 27 April 2013.  Their report is in Norwegian only. The helicopter was being used to transport personnel participating in the Røldal

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737 Descent Below Instrument Approach Minima – HF Lessons

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Culture

737 Descent below Instrument Approach Minima – HF Lessons Human factors are discussed in the report into an incident in New Zealand. Using the autopilot, the aircraft descended on the glideslope but at decision height (200 feet Above Ground Level) the aircraft was still in cloud and the runway or approach lights were not visible. The

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Fixed Wing Accident & Incident Digest

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Military / Defence, News, Regulation, Safety Management

Fixed Wing Accident & Incident Digest There have been a number of interesting air accident reports or updates recently on a range of fixed wing accidents and incidents, each with unique lessons. 1) Loss of propeller control during descent causes fatal DHC-8 forced landing in Papua New Guinea On 15 June 2014 the Papua New Guinea

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Unfit for Flight or Unfit for Publication?

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, News, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

Unfit for Flight or Unfit for Publication? This week US newspaper USA Today has featured a 3 part ‘exposé’ on general aviation and its safety record by Tom Frank that claimed ‘Lies and coverups mask roots of small-aircraft crashes’: Unfit for Flight: Hidden defects linked to small-aircraft crashes over five decades Unchecked carnage: NTSB probes don’t

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Size Isn’t Everything

Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Logistics, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Regulation, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

Size Isn’t Everything The day after the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) CAP1145 report on North Sea helicopter safety was published, the Aberdeen Press & Journal focused on one controversial action with the front page headline ‘If you are too fat you won’t fly’! But when it comes to escaping from a submerged helicopter through the push

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Forthcoming Helicopter Safety Events

Design & Certification, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management

There are two key helicopter safety events in the next month or so, both of which Aerossurance will be attending. On 4 June 2014, Oil & Gas UK will be holding its annual Aviation Seminar on 4 June 2014 at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre.  Topics to be discussed are: Are we rebuilding UK

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