We review the USAF AIB report, looking at the catastrophic gear box failure and decision making seemingly influence by low risk awareness and commitment to completing the flight.
Deadly Delay: Catastrophic USAF CV-22B Osprey Gear Box Failure Read Post »
In July 2019 the BEA reported on a series of propeller incidents that occurred due to a vibratory phenomena that was not uncovered in certification testing.
Severe Propeller Vibrations on ATR 72-212A: BEA Report Read Post »
The GCAA AAIS discuss the cause of a precautionary ditching and examine the performance of flotation and survival features.
ADA AW139 A6-AWN Ditching off UAE, 29 April 2017: Final Report Read Post »
We report from the fourth HeliOffshore Conference and AGM on ‘Delivering Our Priorities’ for improved offshore helicopter safety.
“Delivering Our Priorities”: HeliOffshore 2018 Conference Report Read Post »
This accident and the loss of 12 lives off the coast of Norway in 1997 had far reaching consequences for the use and regulation of helicopter HUMS.
Loss of AS332L1 LN-OPG off Brønnøysund, Norway, 8 September 1997 Read Post »
We look at health monitoring, both oil debris and HUMS/VHM, in light of the EC225 LN-OJF accident investigation.
Super Puma Epicyclic Gear Health Monitoring Background Read Post »
We report from the third HeliOffshore Conference and AGM on deepening commitment and collaboration to improve offshore helicopter safety.
Deepening Delivery: HeliOffshore 2017 Conference Report Read Post »
We discuss the potential availability and maintenance economic benefits and work Airbus has under way with IBM and Palantir.
EasyJet and Airbus Collaborate on ‘Big Data’ IVHM Read Post »
UK CAA issue their second update following the Feb 2014 CAP1145 report (‘Safety review of offshore public transport helicopter operations in support of the exploitation of oil and gas’).
UK CAA CAP1145: 2nd Update on North Sea Helicopter Safety (CAP1386) Read Post »
Against stiff competition the HeliOffshore team who produced HUMS Best Practice Guide have won the Award for Sharing and Learning at the Offshore Safety Awards 2016.
HeliOffshore HUMS Best Practice Guide Wins Safety Award Read Post »
We examine the investigation into the loss of CHC EC225 in Norway on 29 April 2016.
CHC EC225 LN-OJF Norway Accident Investigation Timeline Read Post »
We report from the second HeliOffshore Conference and AGM on commitment and collaboration to improve offshore helicopter safety.
Offshore Helicopter Safety Performance: 2016 HeliOffshore Conference Report Read Post »
EC225/H225 Main Rotor Head and Main Gear Box Design (CHC LN-OJF Fatal Accident 2016) Following the recent tragic accident at Turøy near Bergen, Norway involving CHC Airbus EC225/H225 LN-OJF there is a lot of interest in the Main Rotor (MR) and Main Gear Box (MGB) design of the EC225. Here we provide some background information on the
EC225 Main Rotor Head and Main Gear Box Design Read Post »
UK CAA CAP1145 North Sea Helicopter Safety Two Years On Not long after the fatal loss of Eurocopter AS332L2 G-WNSB of Sumburgh Airport, Shetland Islands on 23 August 2013 with 4 fatalities (AAIB Special Bulletin), the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched an rapid review on offshore helicopter safety. That CAA Review resulted in the CAP1145 report (‘Safety review of
UK CAA CAP1145 North Sea Helicopter Safety Two Years On Read Post »
HUMS Vibration Health Monitoring Success Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has published a Service Difficulty Report (SDR), dated 1 November 2015, that highlights a Health & Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) Vibration Health Monitoring (VHM) success. During investigation of a HUMS vibration alert, the main rotor head of an Airbus Helicopters EC225/H225 offshore helicopter was examined and wear was identified beyond the limits
HUMS Vibration Health Monitoring Success Read Post »
Helicopter HUMS Maintenance Credit: New Initiatives Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) were first introduced 25 years ago as a safety enhancement for offshore helicopters in the UK and Norway. Even in the early days of HUMS the prize of ‘maintenance credits’ was envisaged: i.e. using the HUMS data to reduce invasive physical inspections and disassembly (with
Helicopter HUMS Maintenance Credit: New Initiatives Read Post »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) October 2015 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has just published the minutes of the 16 October 2015 meeting of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG). This is the third and last of the year (compared to six in 2014), postponed from July 2015. The OHSAG was formed as a result of the ‘Civil
UK OHSAG Oct 2015 Minutes Read Post »
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 »
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 »
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 »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) April 2015 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has just published the minutes of the 28 April 2015 meeting of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG), the second of the year. The OHSAG was formed as a result of the ‘Civil Aviation Authority Safety Review of Offshore Public Transport Helicopter Operations in
UK OHSAG April 2015 Minutes Read Post »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) Jan 2015 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has just published the minutes of the latest, 27 Jan 2015, 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
UK OHSAG Jan 2015 Minutes Read Post »
UK CAA CAP1145: Update on North Sea Helicopter Safety (CAP1243) Not long after the fatal loss of Eurocopter AS332L2 G-WNSB 1.5 nm west of Sumburgh Airport, Shetland Islands on 23 August 2013 with 4 fatalities (AAIB Special Bulletin), the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched an rapid review on offshore helicopter safety. CAP1145 This CAA Review resulted in the CAP1145 report
UK CAA CAP1145: Update on North Sea Helicopter Safety (CAP1243) Read Post »
EASA & FAA HUMS / VHM Developments More information has emerged on European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) / Vibration Health Monitoring (VHM) initiatives. EASA HUMS / VHM Research There was more detail on HUMS/VHM research that Aerossurance has previously reported on when Cranfield University’s Matt Greaves presented the
EASA & FAA HUMS / VHM Developments Read Post »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) Oct 2014 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published the minutes of the latest, 28 Oct 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
UK OHSAG Oct 2014 Minutes Read Post »
