NTSB points to a failure to consider the Density Altitude in this spectacular air ambulance accident caught on video. But there are wider lessons about planning and landing site hazards.
US Air Ambulance Near Miss with Zip Wire and High ROD Impact at High Density Altitude Read Post »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
An omission of a vertical profile on the Jeppesen chart, a demoted and confused First Officer plus a tired Commander… Yet a vertical profile was programmed in the FMS, but crews weren’t told.
A Saab 2000 Descended 900 ft Too Low on Approach to Billund 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 »
The BEA look as production, maintenance fault-finding and flight operations lessons from a pair of incidents involving the AOA sensors on a Transavia Boeing 737-800.
AOA Anomalies on Successive B737-800 Flights 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 »
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.
We look how a defence contractor was killed during weapons training on a New Mexico range. We also critique the USAF AIB HFACS human factors analysis. A case of ‘What-You-Look-For-Is-What-You-Find’ (WYLFIWYF)?
Friendly Fire: Civilian Shot in the Head During USAF F-16 Training Read Post »
The AAIB identify weaknesses in maintenance practices relating to flying control cables, an unrelated anomaly that has occurred on a number of Q400s and a weakness in how the Q400 FDR processes data that has been solved only for US operators.
Dash 8 Q400 Control Anomalies: 1 Worn Cable and 1 Mystery 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 »
The AAIB highlight safety lessons after an incident that occurred when an aircraft that had been in storage was being prepared for a ferry flight by personnel from 4 different organisations. This is topical at a time when many aircraft are entering and leaving storage due to COVID-19.
Runaway Dash 8 Q400 at Aberdeen after Miscommunication Over Chocks 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 »
Failure to perform the Descent Check during the approach was a key factor for a loss of direction control after landing. This had “become a fairly common practice among crews”.
The NTSB determined that this air ambulance helicopter accident, which killed 3, was due to a loss of control as a result of fatigue during cruise at night.
Fatal Fatigue: US Night Air Ambulance Helicopter LOC-I Accident Read Post »
