Further Category A EBS Approved More Category A Compressed Air – Emergency Breather System (CA-EBS) options are now approved against the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) standard in CAP1034. These approvals are under the accessory approval requirements of British Civil Airworthiness Requirements (BCAR) A4-8. Category A EBS was a recommendation from the CAA Review, which resulted in […]
Further Category A EBS Approved Read Post »
Helicopter Ditching – EASA Rule Making Task RMT.0120 Update (NPA 2016-01 Helicopter ditching and water impact occupant survivability) The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) gave an update at their 8th Rotorcraft Symposium on the rule making task (RMT.0120) looking at helicopter ditching requirements. The paper is downloadable as part of a large zip file for the whole symposium
Helicopter Ditching – EASA Rule Making Task RMT.0120 Update (NPA 2016-01) Read Post »
James Reason’s 12 Principles of Error Management James Reason, Professor Emeritus, University of Manchester, set out 12 systemic human factors centric principles of error management in his book Managing Maintenance Error: A Practical Guide (co-written with Alan Hobbs and published in 2003). These principles are valid beyond aviation maintenance and are well worth re-visiting: Human error is both universal
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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 »
EU Offshore Safety Directive – Oil & Gas UK Briefing The consultation period on the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) / Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consultation document on draft UK regulations to implement the new EU Offshore Safety Directive has ended. Trade body Oil & Gas UK say: These changes are some of the
EU Offshore Safety Directive – Oil & Gas UK Briefing Read Post »
OGP is now IOGP The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (known across the industry as OGP) has rebranded as IOGP to coincide with their 40th anniversary. They say: Over the past year we have been developing an updated brand for the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers. Our aim from the start: to have
EASA HUMS / VHM Research Developments The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has been funding some innovative research into Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) / Vibration Health Monitoring (VHM). EASA.2012.OP.13 VHM Recently, Cranfield University‘s Matt Greaves presented to the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) annual conference on one EASA research project (EASA.2012.OP.13 VHM). His paper
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HeliOffshore Launch HeliOffshore, whose foundation we discussed in June, was launched today in London. HeliOffshore have issued the following press release: Oct. 21, 2014 – London – Five major helicopter operators today officially announced a new industry association – HeliOffshore – for The new association was introduced at a launch event at its offices in London.
HeliOffshore Launch Read Post »
Insights from Bristow CEO Jonathan Baliff at Helitech On 14t October 2014 at Helitech in Amsterdam, Jonathan Baliff, discussed an objective of reducing the range of types in the company fleet and an approach of increasing risk sharing with more availability focused contracts with the helicopter manufacturers: We will purchase our aircraft in larger numbers, so we
Insights from Bristow CEO at Helitech Read Post »
Safety culture is increasingly recognised as critical to safety performance. But how do you develop your organisation’s safety culture? Safety Leadership.
How To Develop Your Organisation’s Safety Culture Read Post »
New Helicopter Cargo Loading System Dutch engineering company VRR is working with AgustaWestland to design a helicopter Cabin Cargo Container and Restraint System for the AW139 helicopter, anticipating it will be of interest in the offshore oil and gas industry for transport of spares and equipment. Certainly with a large drillship costing $500k per day to
New Helicopter Cargo Loading System Read Post »
PDG Helicopters Win UK & Eire Lighthouse Support Contract The three lighthouse authorities in the UK and Eire have joined together to award a contract for helicopter support. The three General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) awarded the £13mn contract to Inverness, Scotland based, PDG Helicopters. PDG will use two new Airbus Helicopters EC135s on the contract which runs from 1 December 2015
PDG Helicopters Win UK & Eire Lighthouse Support Contract Read Post »
Passive Fire-Retarding Helideck Designs A number of helideck manufacturers offer aluminium helideck designs with a passive fire-retarding capability. Typically this is achieved by draining fuel through holes in the deck surface, into cavities filled with aluminium mesh. This starves the fire of oxygen and dissipates heat, extinguishing the flames and draining away unburnt fuel for
Passive Fire-Retarding Helideck Designs Read Post »
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
US BSEE Helideck A-NPR / Bell 430 Tail Strike Read Post »
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
Medevac Misadventure – Inquest in the Yukon Read Post »
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
North Sea Offshore Standardised Clothing Policy Read Post »
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
Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group & OGUK Helicopter Briefing Read Post »
NTSB Recommendations on Offshore Methane Gas Venting The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have issued a series of recommendations following two accidents were single engined offshore helicopters ditched after the suspected ingestion of vented methane gas caused a full or partial engine power loss near an offshore platform. Vented combustible gas can cause surging, a compressor
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UK Airborne Anti-Pollution Assets The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued this video in 2011 on their anti-pollution airborne dispersant spraying and surveillance assets. The video describes their two sesnor equipped surveillance aircraft. It goes onto show their airborne dispersant spray capability being demonstrated in Lyme Bay, using both a small Cessna Caravan II and a Lockheed
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Bristow Invests £3.2mn in Tool Control Energy Voice reports that Bristow Group has introduced the latest Snap-on Industrial Automated Tool Control (ATC) system to its maintenance operations as part of the company’s commitment to safety by reducing the risk of Foreign Object Debris (FOD) being introduced during maintenance. Jeremy Cresswell reports: The ATC Box is fitted with
Bristow Invests £3.2mn in Tool Control Read Post »
In 2014 Leonardo gained EASA certification of a new laser based obstacle warning system to help protect helicopters from rotor strikes.
Leonardo Helicopter Obstacle Proximity LIDAR System (OPLS) Read Post »
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
Wrong Deck Landings Read Post »
On 18 August 2014 the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) upgraded the aviation colour code for the Baroarbunga volcano to ‘Orange’ which means that, ‘The volcano shows heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption’. UPDATE: On 23 August 2014, the morning after this article was published, it was raised to ‘Red’ (‘Eruption is forecast to
Volcanic Ash…Déjà Vu All Over Again?? Read Post »
Commanders: Flying or Monitoring? At a recent Royal Aeronautical Society Conference, one of the speakers, Colin Milne of BALPA, highlighted that in a number of past UK large helicopter accidents involving Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) or Loss of Control (LOC) the Commander was the Pilot Flying rather than the Pilot Monitoring. While there are circumstances where this
Commanders: Flying or Monitoring? Read Post »
Helicopter Ditching Limitations The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is proposing introducing Emergency Floatation System ditching limitations into Rotorcraft Flight Manuals (RFMs) and that these are then a limitation for operations. This is in broad alignment with a UK CAA Safety Directive effective 1 September 2014. On 30 May 2014 EASA issued a Proposed Airworthiness Directive (PAD) for public comment.
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